BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION

DEFINITION

-a structure that allows people or

vehicles to cross an obstacle such as
a river or canal or railway etc.
-is something which holds together
without falling apart or collapsing
THE IMPORTANT OF BRIDGE
-Bridges are built to make life easier
-Bridges are used to get people and vehicles
safely over obstacles that cannot be crossed by
foot or car. 
-We can do this by understanding which shapes
are strong,
understanding how materials behave and
understanding forces which push and pull on
structures.
Designing Bridges
• When designing a bridge, engineers take the intended
load, width, and height of the span into account.
• Engineers build strong structured piers that are made
out of concrete and steel and they support the bridge.
• A bridge must be able to support themselves and the
mass its supporting. Designing and building a bridge is a
complex task.
• We can do this by understanding which shapes are
strong,
understanding how materials behave and understanding
forces which push and pull on structures
Type of Bridge

• Suspension bridge
• Beam bridge
• Arch Bridge
• Cable-stayed bridge
TYPES OF BRIDGE
SUSPENSION BRIDGE

• Suspension bridges are best to use across

large areas because their span is longer
than most bridges
• distances from 2,000 to 7,000 feet -- far
longer
• most expensive to build
TERMINOLOGY OF SUSPENSION
BRIDGE
• Cable
Part of a suspension bridge extending from an
anchorage over the tops of the towers and down to the
opposite anchorage. Suspenders or hangers are
attached along its length to support the deck.
• Span
The horizontal space between two supports of a
structure.
• Suspenders
Tension members of a suspension bridge which hang
from the main cable to support the deck.
• Camber
A positive, upward curve built into a beam which
compensates for some of the vertical load and
anticipated deflection.
THE IMPORTANT OF ANCHORAGES
-solid rock or massive concrete blocks.
-these cables rest on top of high towers and are secured at
each end by anchorages.
-function;
-help to stabilize the bridge .
-Most of the weight of the bridge is carried by the
cables to the anchorages.
-Inside the anchorages, the cables are spread over a
large area to evenly distribute the load
-prevent the cables from breaking free.
The suspension bridges, the
roadway hangs from massive
steel cable, which are draped
over two towers and secured
into solid concrete blocks,
called anchorages, on both
ends of the bridge. The cars
push down on the roadway,
but because the roadway is
suspended, the cables
transfer the load into
compression in the two
towers. The two towers
support most of the bridge's
weight
TYPES OF CABLE

• 1.Parallel Wire Cables

- made up of a large
number of individual
wires
-used on monumental
structures
TYPES OF CABLE
2. Parallel Strand
Cables,
-consist of several
prefabricated
Galvanized Bridge
Strands
-Wood or aluminum
fillers are used to
bring the cable to a
circular cross-section
 A BEAM BRIDGE

A beam bridge is basically a rigid horizontal

structure that is resting on two piers, one at
each end. The weight of the bridge and any
traffic on it is directly supported by the piers.
The weight is traveling directly downward.
• A beam or "girder" bridge is
the simplest and most
inexpensive kind of bridge.
In its most basic form, a
beam bridge consists of a
horizontal beam that is
supported at each end by
piers. The weight of the
beam pushes straight down
on the piers.
The beam itself must be
strong so that it doesn't
bend under its own weight
and the added weight of
crossing traffic. When a load
pushes down on the beam,
the beam's top edge is
pushed together
(compression) while the
bottom edge is stretched
(tension).
In its most basic form, a beam bridge consists of a
horizontal beam that is supported at each end by
piers. The weight of the beam pushes straight
down on the piers.

The beam itself must be strong so that it doesn't

bend under its own weight and the added weight of
crossing traffic. When a load pushes down on the
beam, the beam's top edge is pushed together
(compression) while the bottom edge is stretched
(tension).
• Advantages of beams
• Because a beam rests simply on the supports, the effects of
thermal expansion and movements of the ground are fairly
easily sustained.  The supports can be simple vertical piers,
because there is no horizontal reaction.  In principle, a
beam may be built away from the final position, and lifted
swiftly into place with minimal disruption of traffic or
navigation.
• Disadvantages of beams
• The beam maintains its shape by means of the opposed
tension and compression, and by the shear forces also.  This
means that a beam contains forces which are much larger
than the load, and it needs to be relatively massive, though
truss construction reduces the mass in the larger examples.
 Compression
The force of compression manifests itself on
the top side of the beam bridge's deck (or
roadway). This causes the upper portion of
the deck to shorten.
 Tension
The result of the compression on the upper
portion of the deck causes tension in the
lower portion of the deck. This tension causes
the lower portion of the beam to lengthen.
 Examples
Take a two-by-four and place it on top of two empty milk crates --
you've just created a crude beam bridge. Now place a 50-pound
weight in the middle of it. Notice how the two-by-four bends. The
top side is under compression and the bottom side is under

 
tension. If you keep adding weight, eventually the two-by-four will
break. Actually, the top side will buckle and the bottom side will
                                                                                                           

snap.          
TYPES

• Howe Truss
• Through truss
• Deck truss
• Warren
• Pratt
                                                                         

                                                                         

                                                                         

 
                                                                       
ADDITIONAL BRIDGE FORCES

• Torsion
• Deck-stiffening trusses
• Resonance
• Dampeners
• Weather
Beams

Beams used in buildings may vary in cross sectional

shape. Some may be solid or hollow. Below are three
different shaped beams. The first beam is a box section,
the second an I section beam and the third an L section
beam. Solid beams are heavier than hollow beams. Beams
like the one's below are given a special cross section for
strength and rigidity. They may be as strong as the solid
beams but are a lot lighter. We may describe them as
having a good strength to weight ratio.

                   
                                 
ARCH BRIDGE
• Arch bridges are one of the oldest types of bridges and have been
around for thousands of years.
• have great natural strength.
• originally built of stone or brick but these days are built of reinforced
concrete or steel.
• The introduction of these new materials allow arch bridges to be
longer with lower spans.

• Instead of pushing straight down, the load of an arch bridge is

carried outward along the curve of the arch to the supports at each
end.
• The weight is transferred to the supports at either end.
• These supports, called the abutments, carry the load and keep the
ends of the bridge from spreading out.
HOW THE LOAD TRANSFER
• The load at the top of the key
stone makes each stone on
the arch of the bridge press
on the one next to it. This
happens until the push is
applied to the end supports or
abutments, which are
embedded in the ground.
• The ground around the
abutments is squeezed and
pushes back on the
abutments.
• For every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction.
The ground which pushes
back on the abutments
creates a resistance which is
passed from stone to stone,
until it is eventually pushing
on the key stone which is
supporting the load.
• Arch Bridge: Forces
The arch is squeezed
together, and this
squeezing force is carried
outward along the curve
to the supports at each
end. The supports, called
abutments, push back on
the arch and prevent the
ends of the arch from
spreading apart.
How are Arch Bridge Built
• Building an arch bridge isn't
easy, since the structure is
completely unstable until
the two spans meet in the
middle.
• For years, engineers used a
technique called centering,
in which a wooden form
supported both spans until
they locked together at the
top.
• A newer method supports
the spans using cables
anchored to the ground on
either side of the bridge.
 Disadvantages of arches
Advantages of arches
An arch cannot stand until it
The entire arch is in is complete.  Therefore it
compression.  The must either rest on false
compression is work (centering) until it is
transferred into the complete, or the two halves
abutments, and must be cantilevered from
ultimately resisted by the springing, using cables. 
tension in the ground The cantilever method
under the arch.  The cannot be used for masonry
absence of tension in the arches or concrete arches. 
arch means that it can The thrust of a big arch has
sustain much greater a horizontal component,
spans than beams can which the abutments must
achieve, and it can use withstand without
materials that are not significant movement.  The
strong in tension. pictures below show the
results of movement.
 Concrete arch

Masonry arch
Metal arch
Cable-stayed bridge
• A type of suspension bridge in which the supporting
cables are connected directly to the bridge deck without
the use of suspenders
• Cable-stayed bridges may look similar to suspensions
bridges
• Both have roadways that hang from cables and both
have towers.
• But the two bridges support the load of the roadway in
very different ways.
• the cables are attached to the towers,
which alone bear the load.
• The cables can be attached to the
roadway in a variety of ways.
• In a radial pattern, cables extend from
several points on the road to a single point
at the top of the tower.
• In a parallel pattern, cables are attached
at different heights along the tower,
running parallel to one other
classifications for cable-stayed
bridges
In some cases, only the cables on one side of the tower are attached
to the girder, the other side being anchored to a foundation or other
counterweight
Advantages of cable-
stayed bridges
•The two halves may be
cantilevered out from each
side.  There is no need for
anchorages to sustain
strong horizontal forces,
because the spans are self-
anchoring.  They can be
cheaper than suspension
bridges for a given span.  them from corrosion.
Many asymmetrical
designs are possible
Disadvantages of cable-
stayed bridges
•In the longer sizes, the
cantilevered halves are
very susceptible to wind
induced oscillation
during construction.  The
cables require careful
treatment to protect