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Types OF Bridges

Bridge Engineering (Malayan Colleges Laguna)

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TYPES OF BRIDGES
• Materials of Construction
• Bridges can be identified by the materials from which their superstructures are built, namely,
steel, concrete, timber, stone, aluminum, and advanced composite materials.
• Frequently, a combination of materials is used in bridge building. For example, a bridge may
have a reinforced concrete deck and steel main girders, which is typically used in highway bridge
superstructures.
• Span length
• Up to now there are no standard criteria to define the range of spans for these different
classifications. A criterion proposed by Taly (1997) is to classify bridges by span length as follows:
• Position (for movable bridges)
*Bascule
A bascule bridge is a kind of widely used moveable bridge whose main girders can be
lifted together with deck about the hinge located at the end of the span.
Example: Tower Bridge, London
*Swing
The girders together with the deck can be swung about the vertical support ring at the
pier in the middle (or abutment at the end), allow the traffic to cross.
Example: Swing Bridge in Liverpool
*Lift
In lift bridges, gantries are provided at the piers at either end of the span. Both girder
and the floor system are lifted up by a hydraulic arrangement to the extent required for
free passage of the ship (Ponnuswamy, 2008).
Example: Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux, France
• Span types
*Simply Supported
The load carrying member is simply supported at both ends. They are statically
determinate structures and suitable to be constructed at bridge foundations that uneven
settlements are likely to happen.
*Continuous
Continuous bridges are statically indeterminate structures, whose spans are continuous
over three or more supports. The continuous bridges have been used extensively in
bridge structures due to the benefits of higher span-to-depth ratio, higher stiffness
ratios, reduced deflections, less expansion joints, and less vibration.
*Cantilever
The cantilever bridge is a bridge whose main structures are cantilevers, which are used
to build girder bridges and truss bridges. They are suitable for foundation with uneven
settlement; they can be built without false-works but has larger span capacity.
• Deck location
• Geometric shape
*Straight
• If the bridge axis follows a straight line, then it is a straight bridge, as shown in The
bridges should be constructed in straight to avoid the extra forces such as torsions and
to simplify the bridge design, analysis, and construction.

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*Skewed
• Skewed bridges are often used in highway design when the geometry cannot
accommodate straight bridges
*Curved
• In comparison with a straight bridge, a curved bridge is more difficult in both design
and construction. Most highway and railway bridges follow a straight alignment, while
some bridges need to be designed as partly or wholly curved in plan for different
purposes.
• Structural form
*Beam
*Rigid Frame
*Truss
*Arch
*Cable Stayed
*Suspension
• Usage
*Highway/Traffic
• Highway bridges are designed for vehicle load, pedestrian load, and other loads.
*Rail-Traffic
• A railway bridge (e.g., a steel trestle railway bridge shown) is built mainly for carrying
railroad traffic, either cargo or passenger.
*Pedestrian
A pedestrian bridge (or referred to as a footbridge) is designed for pedestrians, cyclists,
or animal traffic, rather than vehicular traffic.
*Aqueduct
• An aqueduct bridge is a bridge constructed for carrying water, like a viaduct that
connects points of same height.
*Pipeline
• Pipeline bridges are designed for carrying the fluids such as water, oil, and gas when it
is not possible to run the pipeline on a conventional bridge or under the river
*Conveyor
• A conveyor bridge is designed as an automatic unit for the removal of overburden and
for dumping it onto the inner spoil banks of open cut mines.

BRIDGE SITE DATA & BASIC CONDITIONS

>>Preliminary Design
The preliminary planning process begins with bridge site data. Preliminary studies such as type, size, and
location, geometric data, foundation data, and hydraulic data are reviewed. Preliminary geometric
approval is received. Structure alternatives are evaluated considering such details as length, type,
geometric constraints such as vertical and horizontal clearances, span arrangement, staging, falsework,
substructure requirements, environmental and community issues, and costs.
Plan, elevation, and section views are developed and approved. Cost estimates are prepared. The
preliminary plan and cost estimate are approved prior to beginning final design.

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One main task in bridge design is to collect information on the various permanent and transient loads
that may act on a bridge, as well as on how these forces are distributed to the various structural
components.
In the design of bridge structure components, the engineer should consider all loads which the
component must resist. These forces may vary depending on duration (permanent or transient),
direction (vertical, transverse, longitudinal, etc.) and deformation (thermal, shrinkage, and creep).
Furthermore, the type of effect (bending, shear, axial, etc.) will sometimes influence the magnitude of
such forces.

>>Design Loads for Bridges

One main task in bridge design is to collect information on the various permanent and transient loads
that may act on a bridge, as well as on how these forces are distributed to the various structural
components. In the design of bridge structure components, the engineer should consider all loads which
the component must resist. These forces may vary depending on duration (permanent or transient),
direction (vertical, transverse, longitudinal, etc.) and deformation (thermal, shrinkage, and creep).
Furthermore, the type of effect (bending, shear, axial, etc.) will sometimes influence the magnitude of
such forces.

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