ARCHITECTURE &

STRUCTURES

Lecture 6 An overview of Bridges

ARCHITECTURE & STRUCTURE

AN OVERVIEW OF BRIDGES

Introduction
Bridges are structures that are constructed to
transport people from on point to another across
a river or an intersection of roads .

Types of Bridges:
Beam Bridges
Truss Bridges
Arch Bridges
Suspension Bridges
Cable-Stayed Bridges

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AN OVERVIEW OF BRIDGES

History of Bridges
The Chinese constructed the first bridge as simple
suspension structure using bamboo. During the
post war years the bridges were constructed in
stone masonry and timber using arch principle.
Architect/Engineer Santiago Calatrava is known
for his amazingly sculptural bridges designed by
applying structural principles derived form the
study of natural structures.

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BEAM TYPE BRIDGES

Beam

is
abridgewhose
load-bearing
superstructureis composed of abeam.
The beam type is the simplest type of bridge.
It is made of two or more supports which hold up a
beam.

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TRUSS TYPE BRIDGES

Truss bridgeis abridgewhose load-bearing

superstructureis composed of atruss.

Truss is a structure with several elements

connected together forming triangular units. The
connected elements (typically straight) may be
stressed fromtension,compression, or
sometimes both in response to dynamic loads.
Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of
modern bridges.
A truss bridge is economical to construct because
its uses materials efficiently.

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TRUSS TYPE BRIDGES

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TRUSS TYPE BRIDGES

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TRUSS TYPE BRIDGES

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ARCH BRIDGES

Anarch bridgeis a bridge withabutmentsat

each end shaped as a curvedarch.

Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of

the bridge and its loadspartially into a
horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at
either side.
Aviaduct(a long bridge) may be made from a
series of arches,
The roadway is located on top of the arch.

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ARCH BRIDGES

TheAlcntara Bridge, Spain (built 103-106 AD)

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VIADUCT

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SUSPENSION BRIDGES

Asuspension bridgeis a type ofbridgein

which the deck (the load-bearing portion) is hung
below suspensioncableson vertical suspenders.
This type of bridge has cables suspended
betweentowers,
plus
verticalsuspender
cablesthat carry the weight of the deck below,
upon which traffic crosses. This arrangement
allows the deck to be level or to arc upward for
additional clearance.

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SUSPENSION BRIDGES

TheGolden Gate Bridgein San Francisco

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SUSPENSION BRIDGES

Akashi Kaiky Bridge

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SUSPENSION BRIDGES

Advantages
A suspension bridge can be made out of simple materials
such as wood and common wire rope.
Longer main spans are achievable than with any other
type of bridge
Less material may be required than other bridge types,
larger spans can also be achieved, leading to a reduced
construction cost
Except for installation of the initial temporary cables,
little or no access from below is required during
construction, for example allowing a waterway to remain
open while the bridge is built above
May be better to withstand earthquake movements than
heavier and more rigid bridges

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SUSPENSION BRIDGES

Disadvantages
Considerable stiffness or aerodynamic profiling
may be required to prevent the bridge deck
vibrating under high winds.
The relatively low deck stiffness compared to
other (non-suspension) types of bridges makes it
more difficult to carryheavy railtraffic where
high concentrated live loads occur
Some access below may be required during
construction, to lift the initial cables or to lift
deck units. This access can often be avoided in
cable-stayed bridgeconstruction

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CABLE-STAYED BRIDGES

Acable-stayedbridgehas
moretowers(orpylons),
support the bridge deck.

Abdoun Bridge,Amman,Jordan

one
from

or

whichcables

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CABLE-STAYED BRIDGES

There are two major classes of cable-stayed

bridges:
1)harp
2)fan.
In theharporparalleldesign, the cables are
nearly parallel so that the height of their
attachment to the tower is proportional to the
distance from the tower to their mounting on the
deck.

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CABLE-STAYED BRIDGES

In thefandesign, the cables all connect to or pass

over the top of the towers.
The fan design is structurally superior with
minimum moment applied to the towers but for
practical reasons the modified fan is preferred
especially where many cables are necessary.
In the modified fan arrangement the cables
terminate near to the top of the tower but are
spaced from each other sufficiently to allow better
termination, improved environmental protection,
and good access to individual cables for
maintenance.

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CABLE-STAYED BRIDGES

The cable-stayed bridge is optimal for spans

longer thancantilever bridges, and shorter than
suspension bridges.
This is the range where cantilever bridges would
rapidly grow heavier if the span were lengthened,
and suspension bridge cabling would not be more
economical if the span were shortened.

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COMPARISON BETWEEN SUSPENSION BRIDGE AND CABLE

STAYED BRIDGE
Cable-stayed
bridges
may
appear
to
be
similar
to
suspension bridges, but in fact they are quite different in principle
and in their construction.
In suspension bridges, large main cables (normally 2) hang between
the towers (normally 2), and areanchoredat each end to the
ground.
This can be difficult to implement when ground conditions are poor.
The main cables, which are free to move on bearings in the towers,
bear the load of the bridge deck. Before the deck is installed, the
cables are undertensionfrom their own weight. Along the main
cables smaller cables or rods connect to the bridge deck, which is
lifted in sections.
As this is done, the tension in the cables increases, as it does with
thelive loadof traffic crossing the bridge. The tension on the main
cables is transferred to the ground at the anchorages and by
downwards tug on the towers.

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COMPARISON BETWEEN SUSPENSION BRIDGE AND CABLE

STAYED BRIDGE

Difference between types of bridges

Suspension bridge

Cable-stayed bridge,
fan design

harp design

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COMPARISON BETWEEN SUSPENSION BRIDGE AND CABLE

STAYED BRIDGE

In the cable-stayed bridge, the towers are the primary loadbearing structures which transmit the bridge loads to the
ground.
A cantilever approach is often used to support the bridge deck
near the towers, but lengths further from them are supported
by cables running directly to the towers.
This has the disadvantage, compared to the suspension bridge,
that the cables pull to the sides as opposed to directly up,
requiring the bridge deck to be stronger to resist the resulting
horizontalcompression loads; but has the advantage of not
requiring firm anchorages to resist the horizontal pull of the
main cables of the suspension bridge.
By design all static horizontal forces of the cable-stayed bridge
are balanced so that the supporting towers do not tend to tilt or
slide, needs only to resist horizontal forces from the live loads.

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COMPARISON BETWEEN SUSPENSION BRIDGE AND CABLE

STAYED BRIDGE

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COMPARISON BETWEEN SUSPENSION BRIDGE AND CABLE

STAYED BRIDGE