11/24/2022

Construction Technology IV - QUS 4102

Bridges

Dr Andrew Bwambale

2022/2023

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Outline

• Overview

• Classification of Bridges

• Practical Considerations

• Concluding Remarks

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

What is a bridge?
• A bridge is a structure carrying a pathway, roadway or
railway over a depression or obstacle such as a river,
valley, or another road/railway

• A bridge is built to be strong enough to safely support

its own weight as well as the weight of anything that
should pass over it

• Bridge Designations

• Bridge – if it carries road/rail traffic or a pipeline

over a river or a valley

• Flyover/Overbridge - if it carries road/rail traffic

or a pipeline over another road or railway

• Viaduct – if it consists of a series of several

short span bridges constructed over a busy
locality, valley, wetland, water body

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Components of a bridge
• Superstructure – Deck, Truss, Girders, Bearings etc.

• Substructure – Piers, Pier Caps, Abutments,

Wingwalls, Foundation

Superstructure components

Rubber bearing

Components of bridge

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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Outline

• Overview

• Classification of Bridges

• Practical Considerations

• Concluding Remarks

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Classification of bridges
• Bridges can be classified according to;

• Materials used
• Structural form
• Construction and function

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

Outline

• Overview

• Classification of Bridges – Materials Used

• Practical Considerations

• Concluding Remarks

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Classification of bridges – Materials used

Timber Bridge Concrete Bridge

Masonry Bridge Steel Bridge

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

Outline

• Overview

• Classification of Bridges – Structural Form

• Practical Considerations

• Concluding Remarks

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Classification of bridges – Structural form (1)

• Slab Bridge

• Usually used for short spans (8 – 12 metres)

• They carry loads in shear and flexural resistance

and have sufficient torsional stiffness

• Bearings are not usually required

• Such bridges become heavy for long spans. Hollow

slabs may be used for medium spans

• Simple shattering/formwork is required

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

Classification of bridges – Structural form (2)

• Beam/Girder Bridge

• Oldest and commonest type of bridge known

• Used for short - medium spans (12 – 18 metres)

• They carry loads in shear and flexural resistance

but have low torsional stiffness

• In modern girder bridges, steel I-Beams replace

concrete beams

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Classification of bridges – Structural form (3)

• Box Girder Bridge

• Used for medium spans (18 – 30 metres) or long

spans (60 – 70 metres) with pre-stressing

• In addition to flexural stiffness and shear

resistance, these bridges have sufficient torsional
stiffness

• Most suitable for curved plan and longer span

bridges

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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Classification of bridges – Structural form (4)

• Truss Bridge

• Used economically in the span range of up to 310

metres

• The primary forces in the members are axial forces

• The open web system permits the use of a greater

overall depth than for an equivalent solid web girder,
hence reduced deflections and rigid structure

• Both these factors lead to economy in the materials

used and reduced dead weight

• Associated with high maintenance and fabrication

costs

• Their aesthetic appearance is debatable mainly

because of the complexity of the elevations

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Classification of bridges – Structural form (5)

• Cantilever (Balanced) Bridge

• Can be steel or concrete

• The roadway is constructed out from the pier in two

directions at the same time so that the weight on
both sides counterbalances each other

• Notice the larger section at the support to resist

negative moments

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

Classification of bridges – Structural form (6)

• Arch Bridge

• Considered the most beautiful of bridge types and

can be used for spans up to 400 metres

• Arch action reduces bending moments

• Usually economical when compared to equivalent

straight simply supported girder or truss bridges

• Suitable when the site is a deep gorge with steep

rocky banks

• Can also be built from stones

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Classification of bridges – Structural form (7)

• Suspension Bridge

• The deck is hung from the main cable by suspenders made of

high tensile strength ropes. A suspension bridge needs to have
very strong main cables. The main cables are anchored at the
abutment, hence the abutment has to be massive

• The main cable is stiffened either by a pair of stiffening trusses

or by a system of girders at the deck level. This stiffening
system serves to control the aerodynamic movements

• The complete structure can be erected without intermediate

staging from the ground

• It is the only alternative for spans over 615 metres, and it is

generally regarded as competitive for spans up to 3000 metres

• The height of the main towers can be a disadvantage in some

areas, for example, within the approach road for an airport

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

Classification of bridges – Structural form (7)

• Cable-Stayed Bridge

• Uses pre-stressing principles but the pre-stressing tendons

are exposed/outside the beam

• They are normally constructed with individual wire ropes,

supplied complete with end fittings, pre-stretched and not spun

• All the forces are transferred from the deck through the cables
to the tower/pylon

• The roadway deck can be – a (pre-stressed) concrete box

deck, steel box deck or steel truss deck. The cables cause
compressive forces in the deck

• Have greater stiffness when compared to suspension bridges.

No aerodynamic problems have been reported to-date

• Economical spans range from 230 to 615 metres

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Classification of bridges – Structural form (8)

Possible and optimal

span lengths

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

Outline

• Overview

• Classification of Bridges – Construction and Function

• Practical Considerations

• Concluding Remarks

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Classification of bridges – Construction & function (1)

• According to inter-span relations – Simple,
Continuous, and Cantilever (balanced) Bridges

• According to the position of the bridge floor or

traffic relative to the structural envelope – Deck,
Through, and Half Through

• According to the method of connections – Pin

Jointed, Riveted, and Welded Bridges

• According to road level – High Level and

Submersible Bridges

• According to span – Culvert (<= 6m), Minor/Short

Span Bridge (6 – 60m), Major/Medium Span Bridge
(60 – 150m), Long Span Bridge (> 150m)

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

Classification of bridges – Construction & function (2)

• According to method of clearance for navigation – Movable Bascule Bridge, Vertical Lifting Bridge, Swing Bridge, Folding
Bridge, Transporter Bridge, and Pontoon Bridge

Bascule Bridge Folding Bridge Transporter Bridge Transporter Bridge

Vertical Lifting Bridge Pontoon (Floating) Bridge

Swing Bridge

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Classification of bridges – Construction & function (3)

• According to function – Aqueduct, Viaduct, Pedestrian, Highway, Railway, and Pipeline Bridges

Aqueduct Viaduct

Pedestrian Bridge

Railway Bridge

Pipeline Bridge

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

Outline

• Overview

• Classification of Bridges

• Practical Considerations

• Concluding Remarks

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Practical considerations (1)

1. Hydraulic data – High Flood Level (HFL), Scour Depth, Clear Waterway etc.

2. Selection of bridge type – Span length, site conditions, speed of construction, constructability, available
technology/equipment, materials, aesthetics, cost, and access for maintenance

• Cost vs span length - The span length may be influenced by the cost of superstructure (cost/meter) and
substructure (cost/pier). If the substructure cost is about 25% of total cost shorter span is more cost-effective. If
the substructure cost is about 50% of total cost longer spans are more economical

• Beam spacing – Determines the number of girders. Larger spacing means; fewer girders (faster to erect),
deeper and heavier girders (can they be transported), reduced redundancy, thick slab. Smaller spacing means,
more girders, lighter girders, more redundancy, thin slab, and more beams to inspect

• Materials – Choice of materials depends on cost of material at bridge site. Includes transportation costs from
fabricators or manufacturers

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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Practical considerations (2)

• Speed of construction – In urban areas, the construction of a bridge may disrupt traffic. Pre-fabricated/pre-cast
members would be preferable. Substructure construction causes more traffic disruption than superstructure.
Longer spans may be considered to minimise the disruption

• Access for maintenance - The bridge should be made easy to inspect and maintain. The maintenance cost
may govern the selection of the bridge (Total Cost = Initial Cost + Maintenance Cost). Steel bridge needs a lot
of maintenance in coastal regions. Concrete bridge usually require the least maintenance

• Aesthetics – An ugly bridge, although safe, serviceable, and inexpensive, is not a good bridge choice.
aesthetics should be an important factor. The bridge should blend well with the environment. Avoid
unnecessary decorations. The bridge should have an appearance of adequate strength

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Practical considerations (3)

3. Selection of bridge site – Subsoil conditions (geotechnical findings), construction constraints, social – political
considerations. An ideal site should have the following characteristics;

• A straight reach of the river

• A narrow channel with firm banks

• Suitable high level banks for H.F.L on each side

• Rock or other hard in-erodible strata close to the river bed level

• Economical approaches

• Absence of sharp curves in the approach alignment

• Absence of expensive river training works

• Where excessive under water construction can be avoided

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

13
 11/24/2022

Outline

• Overview

• Classification of Bridges

• Practical Considerations

• Concluding Remarks

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Key References
• Various sources on the internet

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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 11/24/2022

Next lecture

• (After the CAT) will focus on Railway Tracks

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

Thank you

Questions?

College of Engineering Design, Art and Technology

School of Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management

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