Addis Ababa Science and Technology
University
College of Architecture and Engineering,
Department of Civil Engineering-
Structural Engineering MSc Program
Advanced Bridge Engineering
By
Kabtamu Getachew, PhD in Civil Engineering/Structural Engineering
Concrete Structures Earthquake Resistance Analysis
October 2024 1
Advanced Bridge Engineering
Outline
1. Introduction
2. Investigation for bridge
3. Bridge type and selection
4. Bridge loading and Analysis
5. Super structure design of bridge
6. Substructure design of bridge
7. Bridge Construction
8. Bridge Management:Rating/Monitoring and Maintenance
2
REFERENCES
• ERA Bridge Design Manual, 2013
• ERA Bridge Design Manual, 2002
• AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Manual
• Bridge Engineering-Superstructure
• Bridge Engineering Handbook, Wai-Fah Chen and Lian Duan. (2000)
Structural Engineering Handbook, Gaylord, E.H (1997)
• Bridge Engineering, Ponnuswamy, S( 1999)
• Design of Modern Concrete Highway Bridges, Heins and Lawrie
(1984)
EVALUATION:
Assignment ,Quizzes and Project 50% Final exam 50%
3
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 General Introduction: Bridge definition and importance
1.2 Historic Development: From Prehistoric to now
1.3 Bridge Components
1.4 Bridge Types
4
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 General Introduction: Bridge definition and importance
1.2 Historic Development: From Prehistoric to now
1.3 Bridge Components
1.4 Bridge Types
On a clear day, the Golden Gate Bridge offers a panoramic
view of the Bay and the San Francisco skyline. “What Nature
rent asunder long ago, man has joined today,” said chief
engineer Joseph Strauss at the opening ceremonies in May
1937.
Construction started: January 5, 1933 and was completed on
April 19, 1937. The total cost of construction rounded out to
be 35 million dollars, equivalent to 798 million today.
5
What is a BRIDGE?
•Bridge is a structure which covers a gap or obstacle
•Saying” Build a bridge and you will have afriend”
•Generally bridges carry a road or railway across a natural or
artificial obstacle such as, a river, canal or another railway
or another road
•Bridge is a structure corresponding to the heaviest
responsibility in carrying a free flow of transport and is the most
significant component of a transportation system in case of
communication over spacings/gaps for whatever reason such as
aquatic obstacles, valleys and gorges etc.
6
Bridge is the KEY ELEMENT
in a Transportation System
7
It Controls the Capacity of the System
If the width of a bridge is insufficient to carry the
number of lanes required to handle the traffic volume,
the bridge will be a constriction to the flow of traffic.
If the strength of a bridge is deficient and unable to
carry heavy trucks, load limits will be posted and
truck traffic will be rerouted.
The bridge controls both the volume and weight of
the traffic carried by the transportation system.
8
Highest Cost per kilometer of the System
Bridges are expensive. The typical cost per kilometer of a
bridge is many times that of the approach roads to the
bridge.
Since, bridge is the key element in a transportation
system, balance must be achieved between handling future
traffic volume and loads and the cost of heavier and wider
bridge structure.
9
If the Bridge Fails, the System Fails
The importance of a Bridge can be visualized by considering the
comparison between the two main components of a highway system
i.e. a road and bridge itself.
EXAMPLE: Suppose in a road there occurs deterioration and
ultimately a crack, thus making a sort of inconvenience but it wont
result in stopping of the flow of traffic as traffic can pass or
otherwise a bypass can be provided. The traffic no doubt will pass
with a slower speed but in case of a bridge its flow is completely
stopped incase of the failure of the bridge, that is the reason its often
called “If the bridge fails the structure fails” as the function of the
structure could no longer be served at all.
10
Bridges add beauty to cities and towns
Many cities are and towns are built near river. Bridges aid cultural,
social, economical and role, add beauty
In addition Bridges have military importance during war: For
the of mobility army at war. Either construct or destroy
11
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
A general statement for assuring safety in engineering design is
that
Resistance (of material & x-section) ≥ Effect of applied load
• When applying this principle ,it is essential that both sides of
inequality are evaluated for the same condition. For example if
the effect of the applied load is to produce compressive stress
on soil, then it should be compared with bearing capacity of
soil.
To facilitate the transportation system. This is to say in
larges cities there is traffic jam when two or more roads meet
at a point. For such cases bridges, called interchanges are
provided. E.g. Gotera interchange, Addis Ababa
GRADE SEPARATED STRUCTURES
13
NEW BRIDGE ON ABAY RIVER May2024
CCCC First Highway
Engineering Group
rondesoSptumt247t5g7f3t9g5i1s
0ac0012722m703 835 lAhu0mllti
35 ·
Recently, the Ethio-Bahir Dar
Abay River Bridge project,
constructed by CFHEC, has
completed its preliminary
acceptance work. Located in
Abay District, it is the most
challenging and longest-span
cable-stayed bridge in Ethiopia
with a total length of 380 meters
and a single bridge width of 24.7
meters. After its completion, the
Bridge will become a new
landmark for the Amhara Region,
contributing to the improvement
of local transportation and
economic development.
#CFHECNow #Bridge #Ethiopia
LOADS ON BRIDGE AND DESIGN METHODS
How are bridges loaded?
• It is pretty simple.
• After you finish a large bridge you load it with
loaded (duh) trucks.
• You simply measure the deflection of the
bridge, or, in English, how much the bridge
sags.
• The measurements have to be in strict
accordance with the deflection calculated by
the designer before the bridge is built.
• This is a typical load test
• As you can see, there are approximately 50
loaded trucks of 40 tons each for a grand total
of 2,000 tons, give or take
Bridge Components
16
Chapter 1 Introduction: Famous
Bridges
“On a clear day, the
Golden Gate Bridge offers
a panoramic view of the
Bay and the San Francisco
skyline. “What Nature rent
asunder long ago, man has
joined today,” said chief
engineer Joseph Strauss
at the opening ceremonies
in May 1937.
Construction started:
January 5, 1933 and was
completed on April 19,
1937. The total cost of
construction rounded out to
be 35 million dollars,
equivalent to 798 million
today.88years?
How? Computer? Manual
calculations?
17
Chapter 1 Introduction: Famous Bridges
Double-deck highway
Suspension bridge
China, The bridge is the first double-deck highway bridge on the Yangtze River, the
company said, adding that the completion and opening of the bridge as scheduled will
facilitate the coming seventh CISM Military World Games in Wuhan.
It is reported that the bridge is 4.13 kilometers long, with 12 lanes in both directions on
the main bridge. It is a long-span suspension bridge with the largest capacity in the
world, the company said.
On both sides of the upper deck of the bridge, there is a two-meter-wide footpath, with18
eight rest and sightseeing areas, where people can enjoy the river scenery.
Chapter 1 Introduction: Famous Bridges
China, The Yachi River Bridge, soaring 434 meters above the Yachi River on the
boundary between Qianxi county and Qingzhen city in Guizhou province, has a total
length of 1,450 meters. Its 800-meter span is the world's longest for a steel truss, cable-
stayed bridge structure.
19
Chapter 1 Introduction: Famous Bridges
China, June 2024,Featuring a steel truss cable-stayed bridge with a
remarkable main span of 1,208 meters, alongside two impressive
steel truss arch bridges boasting main spans of 388 meters each, and
complemented by a continuous steel truss bridge spanning 3×124
meters, this bridge ensemble holds multiple world records. 20
Ethiopia, Bahir Dar, Abay New Cable Satyed Bridge, 2024
Nine things about the new Nile bridge
1. It is stretched by 18 cables from the left and right at the front and back, with a total of 72 cables (cables), and
the total weight is transferred to the vertical pole through the cables and extends from the pole to the base.
2. The vertical pillar is 7 meters high above the base and 27 meters high, and it is composed of several piles with
a depth of 24 meters from the water and underground.
3. The total length of the bridge is 380 meters.
4. The width of the side is 43 meters and it can accommodate 6 vehicles on the left and right at the same time.
5. Bicycle users lane in both directions and includes a 5 meter footpath;
6. By connecting one area with another, it helps to easily carry out the exchange of products and goods without
harassment.
7. Using a rare and new technology in our country (i.e. a sliding metal bridge folder) without the work of
mapping the direction of the river.
8. Also, lights that can provide different interactions are installed on the bridge's tension cables
9. The total construction cost is 1 billion 437 million birr, according to the information of the Government
Communication Service.
Bridge Failure Lessons:USA Tacoma River 1940
1940 2024
Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Wind
Vibration Resonance Velocity 67km/hr,
Washington state, 1940.
22
Failure Lessons :Baltimore bridge collapse 2024
The cargo ship Dali that crashed into Baltimore’s
Key Bridge in March 2024
23
Ethiopia, Omo Bridge River Collapse 2011,during Construction
Recovery of 128 m long structural steel truss that
collapsed during bridge launching operation in
early 2011.
24
Ethiopia, Omo Bridge River Collapse 2011,during Construction
Recovery of 128 m long structural steel truss that
collapsed during bridge launching operation in
early 2011.
25
1.2 History of Bridge Development
Natural Bridges 700 A.D. Asia
Great Stone Bridge in China
Clapper Bridge
Tree trunk Low Bridge
Stone Shallow Arch
Strength of
Materials
Mathematical
Theories
Roman Arch Bridge
Development of
The Arch Metal
Natural Cement
100 B.C. Romans 1300 A.D. Renaissance
26
History of Bridge Development
1800 A.D. 1900 A.D. 2000 A.D.
Truss Bridges
Prestressed
First Cast-Iron Bridge Mechanics of Concrete
Design
Coalbrookdale, England Steel
Britannia Tubular Suspension Bridges
Bridge Use of Steel for the
Wrought Iron suspending cables
1850 A.D. 1920 A.D. 27
Historic Development of Bridge in Ethiopia
• Before 16th thick log on Abay river(Alata)
• In1626 Portuguse , stone masony bridge, near Alata
• After 1667, many bridges built (Fassiledes)
• in 17th and 18th ,Zemene Mesfint ,destroyed many
bridges civil war
• Emperor Tewdros he him self supervise,road
construction and bridges construction
28
Historic Development of Bridge in Ethiopia
Menelik period,1906
• Revival of bridges building in Ethiopia
• Timber bridge on Awash river and In Addis Ababa
• 1935-1941 Italian invasion and bridge construction
After 1941
• First higway project like today 1951-1957,US
estabilished, ERA
• 1972 -1975 Local contractors began
• 1975 Rural division stabished
• This days ERA and other orginazation
29
How Bridges Work?
Every passing vehicle shakes the bridge up and down,
making waves that can travel at hundreds of kilometers per
hour.
Luckily the bridge is designed to damp them out, just as it is
designed to ignore the efforts of the wind to turn it into a
giant harp.
A bridge is not a dead mass of metal and concrete: it has a life
of its own, and understanding its movements is as important
as understanding the static forces.
30
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Span - the distance between two bridge
supports, whether they are columns, towers
or the wall of a canyon.
Force - any action that tends to maintain or alter the position of a
structure
Compression - a force which acts to
compress or shorten the thing it is acting on.
Tension - a force which acts to expand or
lengthen the thing it is acting on.
Compression Tension
31
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Beam/slab - a rigid, usually horizontal, structural element
Beam
Pier
Pier - a vertical supporting structure, such as a pillar
Cantilever - a projecting structure supported only at one end, like
a shelf bracket or a diving board
Load - weight distribution throughout a structure
Abutment - Bridge end Supporting Retaining walls
32
Bridge Components
33
Bridge Components
34
Bridge Components
35
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Truss - a rigid frame composed of short, straight pieces joined to
form a series of triangles or other stable shapes
Stable - (adj.) ability to resist collapse and deformation; stability
(n.) characteristic of a structure that is able to carry a realistic
load without collapsing or deforming significantly
Deform - to change shape
36
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Buckling is what happens when the force of
compression overcomes an object's ability to
handle compression. A mode of failure
characterized generally by an unstable lateral
deflection due to compressive action on the
structural element involved.
Snapping is what happens when tension overcomes an object's
ability to handle tension.
To dissipate forces is to spread them out over a greater area, so
that no one spot has to bear the brunt of the concentrated force.
To transfer forces is to move the forces from an area of
weakness to an area of strength, an area designed to handle the
forces.
37
Basic Concepts and Bridge Components
Basic bridge Types:
1. Beam Bridge
2. Truss
3. Arch Bridge
4. Suspension Bridge
The type of bridge used depends on various features of the
obstacle. The main feature that controls the bridge type is the size
of the obstacle. How far is it from one side to the other? This is a
major factor in determining what type of bridge to use.
The biggest difference between the four is the distances they can
each cross in a single span.
38
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Beam Bridge
Consists of a horizontal beam supported at each end by piers.
The weight of the beam pushes straight down on the piers. The
farther apart its piers, the weaker the beam becomes. This is why
beam bridges rarely span more than 80m
39
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Beam Bridge
Forces
When something pushes down on the beam, the beam
bends. Its top edge is pushed together, and its bottom edge
is pulled apart.
40
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Truss Bridge
Forces
Every bar in this cantilever bridge experiences either a
pushing or pulling force. The bars rarely bend. This is why
cantilever bridges can span farther than beam bridges
41
Basic Concepts and Bridge Components
Arch Bridges
The arch has great natural strength. Thousands of years ago,
Romans built arches out of stone. Today, most arch bridges are
made of steel or concrete, and they can span up to 250m
42
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Arch Bridges
Forces
The arch is squeezed together, and this squeezing force is carried
outward along the curve to the supports at each end. The
supports, called abutments, push back on the arch and prevent the
ends of the arch from spreading apart.
43
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Suspension Bridges
This kind of bridges can span 610m to 2000m way farther than
any other type of bridge! Most suspension bridges have a truss
system beneath the roadway to resist bending and twisting.
44
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Suspension Bridges
Forces
In all suspension bridges, the roadway hangs from massive steel
cables, which are draped over two towers and secured into solid
concrete blocks, called anchorages, on both ends of the bridge.
The cars push down on the roadway, but because the roadway is
suspended, the cables transfer the load into compression in the
two towers. The two towers support most of the bridge's weight.
45
Bridge Components and load transfer system
Cable-Stayed Bridge
The cable-stayed bridge, like the suspension bridge, supports
the roadway with massive steel cables, but in a different way.
The cables run directly from the roadway up to a tower,
forming a unique "A" shape.
Cable-stayed bridges are becoming the most popular bridges
for medium-length spans (between 150m and 900m).
46
References
1.ERA Bridge Design Manual, 2013 ( AASHTO -2010)
2.ERA Bridge Design Manual, 2002
3.AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Manual
4.Barker, Richard M., and Jay A. Puckett. Design of highway
bridges: An LRFD approach. John Wiley & Sons, 19971st Edition
(Text Book).
5.Barker, Richard M., and Jay A. Puckett. Design of highway
bridges: An LRFD approach. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
6.Chen, Wai-Fah, and Lian Duan, eds. Bridge Engineering
Handbook: Construction and Maintenance. CRC press, 2014.
7.Journal and proceeding articles
8.Other Internet Sources
Thank you
48
