Design Consideration of

Highway Bridges

By: Nirav Soni

• Loads on Super Structure
• Bearings
• Loads on Sub Structure
• Design Consideration for Bridges
 Loads on Super Structure
• Dead Load
• SIDL
• Live Load
• Wind Load
• Temperature Differences
 Loads on Super Structure
• Dead Load
 Loads on Super Structure
• SIDL – Super Imposed Dead Load
 Loads on Super Structure
• Live Loads
 Loads on Super Structure
• Live Loads
 Loads on Super Structure
• Live Loads
 Loads on Super Structure
• Temperature Difference
Bridge Bearings

Function Of Bearings
• Bridge bearings are used to transfer forces from the
superstructure to the substructure, allowing the following
types of movements of the superstructure:
• Translational movements; and
• Rotational movements
Bridge Bearings

Until the middle of this century, the bearings used consisted of

following types:
• Pin
• Roller
• Rocker
• Metal sliding bearings
Pin Bearing

• A pin bearing is a type of fixed bearings that accommodates

rotations through the use of a steel
• Translational movements are not allowed.
Pin Bearing

Steel Pin

• Rotational Movement is allowed

• Lateral and Translational Movements are Restricted
Roller Type Bearings

Single Roller Bearing Multiple Roller Bearing

• Expansion rollers be equipped with “substantial side

bars” and be guided by gearing or other means to
prevent lateral movement, skewing, and creeping.
• Drawback is to collect dust and debris.
Roller Type Bearings

Roller Type Bearing with Gear Arrangement

• Longitudinal movements are allowed

• Lateral Movements and Rotations are Restricted
Rocker Type Bearing

• A rocker bearing is a type of expansion bearing that comes in a

great variety.
• It typically consists of a pin at the top that facilitates rotations,
and a curved surface at the bottom that accommodates the
translational movements
• Rocker and pin bearings are primarily used in steel bridges.
 Sliding Bearings

• A sliding bearing utilizes one plane metal plate sliding against another
to accommodate translations.
• Surface produces a frictional force that is applied to the
superstructure, substructure, and the bearing itself.
Sliding Bearings

• Sliding Bearings be used alone or more often used as a

component in other types of bearings
• Pure sliding bearings can only be used when the rotations
caused by the deflection at the supports are negligible.
Pot Bearings
Plain Elastomeric Bearings

20
Laminated Elastomeric Bearings

Elastomeric material interspersed with steel plates

21
Bearing Layout
 Abutment
Forces on Abutment

• At-Rest Earth Pressure:

When the wall is fixed rigidly and does not move, the pressure
exerted by the soil on the wall is called At-Rest earth pressure.

• Active Earth Pressure :

When a wall moves away from the backfill, the earth pressure
decreases (active pressure)

• Passive Earth Pressure:

When it moves toward the backfill, the earth pressure increases
 Abutment
A) EARTH PRESSURE:

• At-Rest Earth Pressure:

When the wall is fixed rigidly and does not move, the pressure
exerted by the soil on the wall is called At-Rest earth pressure.

• Active Earth Pressure :

When a wall moves away from the backfill, the earth pressure
decreases (active pressure)

• Passive Earth Pressure:

When it moves toward the backfill, the earth pressure increases
Abutment
 Abutment
Methods for Estimating EARTH PRESSURE :

• Coulomb Theory:

• Rankine’s Theory :

• Log Spiral Theory:

 Abutment
Coulomb Theory

Lateral force exerted on a wall by the backfill can be evaluated by

analysis of the equilibrium of a wedge-shaped mass of soil bounded

by the back of the wall, the backfill surface, and a surface of sliding

through the soil. The assumptions in this analysis are

1. The surface of sliding through the soil is a straight line.

2. The full strength of the soil is mobilized to resist sliding (shear

failure) through the soil.

 Abutment
Coulomb Theory
 Abutment
B) Vehicular Surcharge:

• A surcharge load uniformly distributed over a large ground surface

area, increases both the vertical and lateral pressures.

• The increases in both vertical and horizontal pressures are constant

over the height of the wall. Therefore, the horizontal resultant
force due to a surcharge load is located at mid height of the wall.

• As per IRC code, Height of Live Load Surcharge = 1200mm

 Abutment
C) Dynamic Increment:

• Dynamic wall pressures are influenced by the dynamic response of

the wall and backfill
• Increase significantly near the natural frequency of the wall-
backfill system.
• Dynamic response effect
can also cause deflections
of different parts of
the wall to be out of phase.
 Abutment
D) Wind Load:

E) Vehicular Live Load

F) Breaking Force

G) Earthquake Force

H) Water Current
 Abutment Failure Types:
1) Sliding Failure
2) Overturning Failure
3) Deep Seated Failure
4) Structural Failure
 PIER:
Type Of Piers
 PIER:
Type Of Piers
 PIER:
Loads on Pier
• Dead loads
• Live loads and impact from the superstructure
• Wind loads on the structure and the live loads
• Centrifugal force from the superstructure
• Longitudinal force from live loads
• Drag forces due to the friction at bearings
• Earth pressure
• Stream flow pressure
• Ice pressure
• Earthquake forces
• Thermal and shrinkage forces
• Ship impact forces
• Force due to prestressing of the superstructure
• Forces due to settlement of foundations
Courbon’s Theory

• In order to compute the bending moment due to live load in a

girder and slab bridge the distribution of the live loads among
the longitudinal girders has to be determined.
• Courbon’s method is used to estimate the load distribution as
it very popular and widely used because of its simplicity.

P  n.e.d i 
Pi  1  2
n   d i 
Where,
Pi = Total Live Load
e =eccentricity of the live load (or c.g.of loads in case of multiple loads),
di = distance of girder i from the axis of the bridge,
n = number of longitudinal girders
• Comparison of load factor by Grillage Analogy and Courbon’s
method is carried for each case and presented in the form of graph
• For exterior girders bending moment obtained by Courbon’s theory
is more than the bending moment obtained by Grillage method

• For interior girder bending moment obtained by Courbon’s theory

is less than the bending moment obtained by Grillage method.

• Variation of load factor in Girder by Courbon’s theory is constant

for the spans and variation of load factor in Girder by Grillage
method is varying. Variation is in decreasing order.
• Therefore there is need to correct the equation of load factor given
by Courbon’s theory

Following equation is obtained by using method of least squares

y= 0.000134x2 - 0.0098x + 1.056
Here, x = Span of the bridge, y = Correction factor

P  n.e.d i 
Pi  1  2
y
n   d i 
Where,
Pi = Total Live Load
e =eccentricity of the live load (or c.g.of loads in case of multiple loads),
di = distance of girder i from the axis of the bridge,
n = number of longitudinal girders
y = Correction factor
• Corrected load factor given by Courbon’s theory using correction
factor.
STAAD Model
 Basic Codes
• IRC 6 – 2016 (for Loading)
• IRC 112 – 2011 (for RC Design)
• IRC 24 – 2015 (For Steel Design)
Design Philosophy

• Understand the concepts of limit state design

• List the assumptions in limit state design
• Derive the stress block parameters
• In the working stress or allowable stress method of design, the
emphasis is on limiting a particular stress in a component to a
fraction of the specified strength of the material of the
component.
• The magnitude of the factor for a structural action depends
upon the degree of safety required. Further, elastic behaviour
of the material is assumed.
• The main objection to the permissible stress method is that the
stress safety factor relating the permissible stress to the
strength of the material is not usually the same as the ratio of
the strength to the design load.
• Thus it does not give the degree of safety based on collapse
load.
• In the limit state method, both collapse condition
and serviceability condition are considered. In this
method, the structure has to be designed to
withstand safely all loads and deformations likely
to occur on it throughout its life. Designs should
ensure that the structure does not become unfit for
the use for which it is required. The state at which
the unfitness occurs is called a limit state
Limit State:
Condition in which a structure or structural
element is no longer acceptable for its intended
use.

Major groups for RC structural limit states

Ultimate
Serviceability
Special
Ultimate limit state
– structural collapse of all or part of the structure
( very low probability of occurrence) and loss
of life can occur.
– Loss of equilibrium of a part or all of a
structure as a rigid body (tipping, sliding of
structure).
• Limit state design requires the structure to satisfy
two principal criteria:
• the ultimate state (ULS) and
• the serviceability limit state (SLS)
• A limit state is a set of performance criteria (e.g.
vibration levels, deflection, strength, stability,
buckling, twisting, collapse) that must be met
when the structure is subject to loads.
 Limit state of collapse

• Flexure
• Shear
• Compression
• Torsion
 Limit state of serviceability
• Deflection
• vibration
 Serviceability Limit State
• To satisfy the serviceability limit state
criteria, a structure must remain functional
for its intended use subject to routine (read:
everyday) loading, and as such the structure
must not cause under routine conditions
Special features of limit state design
method are:

• It is possible to take into account a number of limit states

depending upon the particular instance
• This method is more general in comparison to the working
stress method. In this method, different safety factors can
be applied to different limit states, which is more rational
than applying one common factor (load factor) as in the
plastic design method.
• This concept of design is appropriate for the design of
structures since any new knowledge of the structural
behaviour, loading and materials can be readily
incorporated.
QUESTIONS?