COMPONENTS OF

A BRIDGE
 MAIN COMPONENTS OF A BRIDGE

1. SUPERSTRUCTURE
2. SUBSTRUCTURE
3. BEARING
 SUPERSTRUCTURE COMPONENT OF A
BRIDGE
 The superstructure components of bridge refer to the components
that lie above bearings.
 The primary objective of the superstructure components is to
withstand the load directly imposed on it and thus transferring the
load to the substructure components.
 FOUR TYPES UNDER THE SUPERSTRUCTURE
COMPONENTS OF THE BRIDGE
1.BEAMS AND GIRDERS
2.ARCHES AND CABLES
3.PARAPET WALLS AND HANDRAILS
4.DECK
BEAMS AND
GIRDERS
The beams and girders are
provided to support the
road pavement thereby
preventing it from bending.
ARCHES AND
CABLES
Arches are provided in the
arch bridges whereas
cables are provided in the
suspension and cable-
stayed bridges.
PARAPET WALLS
AND HANDRAILS PARAPET
WALL
The parapets and the
handrails serve as the
protective safety elements
of the bridge.
HANDRAIL
 DECK
The deck consists of the
roadway or the rail surface
that facilitate the passage
of traffic in the bridge.
SUBSTRUCTURE
COMPONENTS OF BRIDGE
 SUBSTRUCTURE COMPONENTS OF
BRIDGE
• The substructure components of bridge
refer to the components of the bridge that lie
below the bearings. The primary objective of
the substructure components is to transfer the
load coming from the superstructure to the
underlying soil layer. The major substructure
components include the piers, the abutments,
wing walls & returns and the foundation
 PIERS
• The piers consist of vertical structures
designed to provide support to the deck or
the bearings. They act as a medium to
transfer the incoming load to the soil layer
below utilizing the foundation. Piers are
also capable of resisting the horizontal
forces. Mostly, piers are made up of
concrete and are provided at intermediate
points throughout the bridge.
 ABUTMENTS
• The abutments are constituted
of vertical structures designed
to retain the earth behind the
bridge structure. The abutments
also provide additional support
to the dead loads and the live
loads imposed on the bridge.
 WING WALLS AND RETURNS
• The wing walls are the
substructure components that
simply refer to the extension of
the abutments to retain the earth
in the approach bank. The wing
walls are the additional retaining
walls constructed adjacent to the
abutments.
 FOUNDATIONS
• They transfer the load on the
underlying strata evenly. The
bridge foundation must be
sufficiently deep to prevent
the scouring due to water
currents.
 BEARING
> A bearing is a machine element that
constrains relative motion to only the desired
motion, and reduces friction between moving
parts
PIN BEARING
> is a type of joint used to
create a flexible connection
between two elements
ROLLER
BEARING
> is a bearing which carries a
load by placing rolling
elements between two
bearing rings called races