BRIDGE STRUCTURES

What is a bridge?
Bridge is a structure built to span a valley, road, river,
body of water, or any other physical obstacle.
Designs of bridges will vary depending on the
function of the bridge and the nature of the area
where the bridge is to be constructed.
The necessary passage will be intended for a road, a
railway, pedestrians, a canal or a pipeline. The hurdle
to be spanned may be a river, a road, railway or a
valley.
History of Bridge Development
History of Bridge Development
Basic Components and Parts of
Bridge Structures
The bridge structure consists of the following
components:
Superstructure or decking component
Bearings
Substructure Components
Substructure
Foundation (Pile/Spread footing)
Pier (Column)
Abutment
Superstructure
Any structure above bearing
Wearing surface
SUPERSTRUCTURE:
The portion which supports the deck slab and girder
and connects one sub structure to the other. That
means all the elements of the bridge attached to a
supporting system can be categorized as
superstructure.
SUB STRUCTURE:
The parts of the bridge which support the
superstructure and transmits all the structural loads
of the bridge to the foundations. For example piers,
abutments etc.
 Basic Superstructure Components
Wearing Surface.
The wearing surface is that portion of the deck cross
section which resists traffic wear.
In some instances this is a separate layer made of
bituminous material, while in some other cases it is
a integral part of concrete deck.
The integral wearing surface is typically 1/2 to 2 in (13 to
51 mm).
The bituminous wearing course usually varies in
thickness from 2 to 4 in (51 to 102 mm).
Latex Modified Concrete
Wearing Surface
Bituminous Material
(Asphalt)
An asphalt Layer which
have less voids and high
surface resistance
Asphalt concrete overlay
rests on top of the deck.
Asphalt concrete layer
ranges from 2 to 4”.
It is recommended that to
roughen its surface prior
to placement of the
asphalt concrete overlay
Wearing Surface
Latex Modified Concrete
 Latex modified concrete layer ranges [1.5 in (38 mm)].
It is recommended that to the concrete deck surface
should be blast cleaned and wetted
It is composed of cement, aggregate, and a latex emulsion
admixture (such as styrene butadiene).
Advantages :
Less porous
Resist thermal forces caused by temperature changes.
Used to replace the wearing surface of existing bridge
decks.
 Less depth than asphalt concrete .
Wearing Surface

Latex Modified Concrete

Deck
A deck is a fundamental part of any bridge to pass
vehicle, goods, people etc. from one side to another.
The decks are supported by the girders or the huge
beams that is in turn supported by the piers.
The whole arrangement is supported with a deep
foundation mainly piles and cap arrangement.
The main function of the deck is to distribute loads
transversely along the bridge cross section.
Primary Members
 Primary members distribute loads longitudinally and
are usually designed principally to resist flexure
and shear.
Beam type primary members also called stringers or
girders.
These stringers could be steel wide flange stringers,
steel plate girders, prestressed concrete, glued
laminated timber, or some other type of beams.
 A small fillet or haunch can be placed between the
deck slab and the top flange of the stringer to adjust
the geometry between the stringer and the finished
deck.
Secondary Members
Secondary members are bracing between primary
members designed to resist cross‐sectional
deformation of the superstructure frame and help
distribute part of the vertical load between stringers.
Secondary members, composed of crossed frames at
the top or bottom flange of a stringer, are used to
resist lateral deformation.
This type of secondary member is called lateral
bracing
Bearings in Bridges
The loads received by the
decks are properly and
safely transmitted to the
substructure with the help
of bearings.
These are components of
bridge that enables even
distribution of load on the
substructure material.
This transmission is very
essential in situations
where the substructure is
not designed to take the
load action directly.
 Parapets and Handrails/ Guard
Rails or Curbs
These components of
bridges are not of structural
importance, but provided
for the safety concerns.
These are provided above
the decks.
This will help in prevention
of the vehicle from falling
off the bridge into the water
body below or as a means
for the separation of traffic
streams.
Basic Substructure Components
Abutments
Abutments are earth‐retaining structures which support
the superstructure and overpass roadway at the beginning
and end of a bridge. It retaining earth underneath and
adjacent to the approach roadway. Abutments always
consists of:
Backwall sometimes called the stem, is the primary
component of the abutment acting as a retaining
structure at each approach.
Wingwall is a side wall to the abutment backwall,
designed to assist in confining earth behind the
abutment. It can be cast monolithically with the abutment
backwall to form a single, integrated structure.
Abutments
Abutments are vertical structures used to retain the
earth behind the structure. The dead and the live
loads from the bridge superstructure is supported by
the bridge abutments.
The abutments are also subjected to lateral pressures
mainly from the approach embankment.
Wing Walls and Returns
Structures constructed as an extension of the
abutments to retain the earth present in the approach
bank are called wing walls.
Piers
Piers are structures
which support the
superstructure at
intermediate points
between the end
supports (abutments) in
long span and come in a
variety of shapes and
sizes
The pier structure has mainly two functions:
Load transmission to the Foundation
Resistance to the horizontal forces
Most of the cases, piers are designed to resist the vertical
loads alone. In areas which lie in the seismic zone, it is
recommended to design the pier for lateral loads also.
Most of the piers are constructed using concrete. Steel for
the construction of pier is used in very few cases till
now. Use of composite columns i.e. steel columns filled
with concrete is used as new technology of pier
construction.
Foundation of Bridges
Foundation are
structures constructed
to transmit the load
from the piers,
abutments, wing walls
and the returns evenly
on the strata.
Categorization of Bridges
Category of Bridges (based on form (or) type of
superstructures)
1. Slab bridge
2. Beam bridge
3. Truss bridge
4. Arch bridge
5. Cable stayed (or )suspended bridge
Category of bridges (based on construction
material of superstructure)
1. Timber bridge
2. Concrete bridge
3. Stone bridge
4. R.C.C bridge
5. Steel bridge
6. P.C.C bridge
7. Composite bridge
8. Aluminum bridge
Category of bridges (As per inter-span
relationship)
1. Simply supported bridge
2. Cantilever bridge
3. Continuous bridge
Classification of bridges (Following the placing of
the bridge floor compared with superstructures)
1. Deck through bridge
2. Half through or suspension bridge
On the basis of length of bridge
1. Culvert bridge(less than 6 m)
2. Minor bridge(more than 6 m- less than 60m)
3. Major bridge(more than 60 m)
4. Long span bridge(more than 120 m)
On the basis of function
1. Aqueduct bridge(canal over a river)
2. Viaduct(road or railway over a valley or river)
3. Pedestrian bridge
4. Highway bridge
5. Railway bridge
6. Road-cum-rail or pipe line bridge
Slab Bridges
a short-span bridge consisting of a reinforced-concrete
slab resting on abutments
Slab bridge
The solid slab is the simplest form of reinforced
concrete bridge deck.
Ease of construction
the most economic type for short span structures
 Solid slabs also have good distribution properties
which makes them efficient at carrying concentrated
movable loads such as wheel loads for highway
bridges.
above a span of around 10 m the deadweight starts to
become excessive, making other forms of
construction more economic.
Beam Bridge
Beam Bridge
The top edge of the
beam possesses
compression as the loads
are applied on it where
the lower part of the
beam is being stretched
and is under tension.
Beam bridge
simply supported (beam that is supported on piers),
bridges consisting of horizontal beams and vertical
piers
 Beam bridges are also named as stringer bridge or
girder bridge.
 spanned with two or more spans and supported by
abutment or pier at each end.
This type of bridges are constructed using RCC,
Wood, steel etc.
 Beam bridges have span less than 80m.
Advantages of Beam bridge:
1.This type of beams are very easy to construct and
erect.
2. This type of beams are good for short spans.
3. Wide distances can be spanned by resting beams on
piers.
4. Ease in constructing temporary bridges.
Disadvantages of Beam bridge:
1. Can be expensive, requires RCC to built.
2. They are spanned by limits.
Arch Bridge
the most popular type of bridge
 extensively used by ancient Romans
made up of stone, concrete or steel
the bridge is in the shape of an arch
The no. of curves (arches) in a bridge depends on stress
and loads that bridge should support
The span length of arch bridges is normally up to
250m
 the roadway of the bridge lies on the arch structure
An arch bridge is a curve shaped bridge where the
load on the curve is not directly applied straight
down, but instead, loads are carried along the curve
of the arch to the end of supports. Meaning that no
part of the bridge takes a high amount of pressure.
These supports are also called as abutments.
Abutments carry loads of the entire bridge & it is
responsible for holding the arch in a precise
position.
Advantages of Arch Bridge:
1. Easy to build with the locally available material.
2. these type of bridges are very rigid and extremely
strong.
3. Arch bridges are built up with a variety of materials
like stone, concrete, steel, etc.
Disadvantages of Arch bridge:
1. They take a long time to build.
2. It requires a massive amount of building materials
to build.
Truss Bridge
Truss Bridge:
Truss is a framework consisting of struts (inclined
members).
constructed by using trusses which are comprised of many
small elements forming triangular trusses.
The span length of truss bridge is 50m-110m.
Trusses are very rigid, lightweight
can support heavy loads.
Trusses serve in transferring the load from a single point to
the wider area.
The weight of the bridge is very less when compared with
other types.

When the load is applied to the truss bridge, the top
edge possess compression and loads are shared
among the angled members to supports and then to
earth.
Advantages of Truss Bridge:
1. This type of bridge is easily built in the factory and
then framed on site.
2. The piers or supports are comparatively less when
compared to the beam bridge,
3. They are strong and rigid and very light on weight
possess efficient use of materials.
Disadvantages of Truss Bridges:
1. Requires high skilled professionals to design it.
2. They are more complex than beam bridges in terms
of designing.
Suspension bridges
Suspension bridges
This type of bridges are constructed by suspending
the deck slab using suspension cables. The roadway is
hanged using steel cables which are connected to two
towers and secured by anchors on both ends of the
bridge.
In addition to the deck slab, the truss system is also
featured with truss system just beneath the deck
which helps to stiffen and to keeps the deck in precise
position to reduce the tendency of the roadway to
sway.
When the load is applied to the suspension bridge,
the deck slab possess compression and then travels up
the ropes, cables or chains to transfer the
compression to the towers. The towers then dissipate
the compression directly into the earth by anchors.
The supporting cables which run parallel to the
bridge possess tension forces, and these are
connected to anchorages. Bridge anchorages are
massive concrete blocks which serve in dissipating the
tension force to the ground
Bridge anchorages are essentially solid rock or
massive concrete blocks in which the bridge is
grounded. Tensional force passes to the anchorages
and into the ground. The span length of
Suspension bridge is in between 150m-2000m
Advantages of Suspension bridge:
1. Strong and lightweight.
2. These type of bridges provide long span which
helps in crossing the river.
Disadvantages of Suspension bridge:
1. Expensive to build.
2. Prone to sway and ripple with the wind, so this type
of bridges are not suitable for railways.
Cable-stayed bridge
Cable-stayed bridge
modern bridges, similar to the suspension bridge.
cables are connected directly to the tower instead of
suspended cables.
Tension is constantly acting on the cables, which are
stretched because they are attached to the roadway.
 This type of bridge doesn’t have any anchorages to
bear the compression and has only one tower to carry
the compression.
The span length of Cable stayed bridge is in
between 500m-1000m.
the cables are directly connected to the roadway at
different points and towers alone bear the
compression forces.
Advantages of Cable-Stayed Bridge:
1. It is more economical when compared with the
suspension bridge.
2. It is good for medium spans and can be easily built
by cantilevering out from the tower.
Disadvantages of Cable-Stayed Bridge:
1. Maintenance and inspection may be more difficult.
2. this type of bridges are not suitable for far
distances.
Classification based on location of
bridge flooring
1.Deck Bridge
When the bridge flooring is provided at the top of the
super structure, it is called deck bridge.
2. Through Bridge
When the bridge flooring is provided at the bottom of
the superstructure, it is called Through Bridge.
3. Semi-Through Bridge
When the flooring is located at some intermediate
level in the super structure, it is called Semi-Through
Bridge.
Classification based on inter
span relations
Simple Bridge
Simple bridge is like simply supported beam type
which consist two supports at its ends. For shorter
spans, simple bridges are suitable.
Continuous Bridge
If the bridge span is very long, then we have to build
more supports in between end supports. This type of
bridge is termed as continuous bridge.
Cantilever bridge
The word cantilever refers that the beam which has
only one support and the other end is kept free in
space.
Cantilever bridges are same to this
Cantilever bridges are constructed in parts and the
two free ends are connected with suspended deck.
 Cantilever bridge has a span in between 150m-
500m.
Any bridge is subjected to compression and tension
forces.
the suspended deck is provided to join the two free
ends of the cantilever bridge.
the top supports are subjected to a tensional force
and bottom supports are subjected to the
compression force which makes the bridge to be
balanced.
Advantages of Cantilever Bridge:
1. This type of bridges are adopted only when the
supports cannot be provided at specific positions.
2. Support is required only on one side of the
cantilever.
Disadvantages of Cantilever Bridge:
1. Cantilever bridges are prone to high turning stress
during construction.
2. If the forces aren’t balanced the bridge may buckle.
Aqueduct Bridge
Aqueduct bridges are nothing but water carrying
bridges which are constructed to0 transport water
from source to system.
Viaduct
A viaduct usually refers to long bridges or series of
bridges connected to one another by arch bridge
structures that carries a road or a railway across a
valley or a gorge.
Viaducts mainly connect two points of the terrain
which are similar in height in order to carry mostly
rail and road traffic. They are built over gorges,
canyons, valleys and sometimes water.
Highway

Bridge
High way or road Way Bridge is used for road
transportation. These are constructed over rivers or
another routes to allow road way traffic. Girder type
bridges are used as highway bridges over rivers or
canals.
Railway Bridge
Rail bridges are constructed for rail transportation.
Truss type bridges are preferred for railways but how
ever r.c.c bridges are also used.
Foot Bridge
Foot Bridge is generally constructed for humans to
cross the roads or rail route or any canal by foot.
Vehicles are not allowed in this bridge.
Road cum Railway Bridge
This type of bridge is useful for both road way and
railway transport. It may be of one floor or two floors.
If one floor is there then, rail and road way are
arranged side by side. Otherwise roadway on top deck
and railway in bottom deck is preferred.
Factors considering Selection of Site For a
Bridge & Culvert Construction
 1. A site which is on a straight reach of the drainage
should be selected. The curved reach of drainage
should be avoided as far as possible.
2. The stream at bridge side should have permanent,
firm, straight and high banks.
3. The stream at Bridge site should be well defined
and as narrow as possible.
4. The site should be sufficiently away from the
confluence point.
5. There should be no scouring and silting of the
stream at the bridge site.
6. A site which offers a square crossing should be
selected as far as possible.
7. The site which offers more advantageous
foundation condition should be preferred.
8. A site which is sufficiently away from the landslides
and subsidence should be preferred.
9. The site should not interfere adversely with any
other bridges, weirs, regulators, dams, etc in the
vicinity.
10. There should be a minimum obstruction to natural
waterway at the bridge site.
11. The stream at the bridge site should be free from
costly river training works.
12. The bridge should provide proximity to the direct
alignment of the communication route to be served.
Types of Loads for Design of Bridge Structures
Various design loads to be considered in the design of
bridges are:
Dead load Live load
Impact load Wind load
Longitudinal forces Centrifugal forces
Buoyancy effect Effect of water current
Thermal effects Deformation and horizontal
effects
Erection stresses Seismic loads