BRIDGES

by: Tom Wright, P.E.

and Jennifer Hall, P.E.
 Engineers are problem solvers.

→Use available technology to solve

→Rely on creativity and academic skills

→Use math, science, and computers

It is very important to note that even though the
tasks are very different, many of the methods
used are common to all engineers.
 THE ENGINEERING PROCESS:
IDENTIFY and
define a problem

SOLVE
ANALYZE
the problem THE
PROBLEM
DESIGN and
propose solutions

REFINE their
proposals
TYPES OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
 STRUCTURAL
 TRANSPORTATION
 GEOTECHNICAL
 ENVIRONMENTAL
 WATER RESOURCES
Who does this?
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS
 Who does this?
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS
Who does this?
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERS
 Who does this?
GEOTECHNICAL
ENGINEERS
Who does this?
WATER RESOURCE ENGINEERS
How to become an engineer!

• Education is the key:

• High School Courses
• College Courses
 How to become an engineer!

UL, UK, and Western are good schools.

 You can think BIG. If you want to go to a
nationally ranked engineering school, start
planning NOW.
 Find out which school is right for you
 Which has a strong program in the field you are
interested in?
 How do you stack up against the admission criteria?
 How does location and cost of the school factor into the
equation?
 How to become an engineer!
• U of L’s Requirements:
• 23 ACT comp. score (1060 comp. SAT)
• 23 ACT math (530 SAT math)
• 3.0 HS GPA
• High School Education:
• 4 Yr English 1 Geometry
• 2 Yr Algebra 1 Advanced Math
• 1 Chemistry 1 Physics
How to become an engineer!

Suggested High School Education:

Additional Chemistry
Computer Class
Graphic Class
How to become an engineer!

Tips:
Take as much math and science as possible
Take ACT and SAT in your junior year
Consider Co-Op Schools
Look for scholarships
 Scholarships!

KYTC
Applications accepted for UK, Western, Ky State, and UL
Summer Job and stipend while in school
Check out state website: personnel.ky.gov

Louisville River Bridges Project

Scholarship program
Maurice Sweeney
How to become an engineer!

College Tips:
Make connections
Use campus resources
Study Schedule
Don’t Overextend yourself
Meet the faculty
Get involved in activities
BRIDGES!!!!
Bridge Material
Timber
Concrete
Steel
EQUILIBRIUM
LOADS Summation of Forces
Σ F=0
FORCES Horizontal Direction
Σ Fh=0
MOMENTS
Vertical Direction

TORSION Σ Fv=0
LOADS
Dead Loads
Live Loads
Wind Loads
Snow Loads
 AXIAL LOADS
Compression
pushing or
shortening
Tension
pulling or
elongating
F
O
R
C
E
S
MOMENTS
Summation of Moments –
Σ M=0
Moment = Force * Distance
TORSION
Torsion is produced when a
beam is subjected to loads
which cause it to buckle and roll.
Diaphragms are inserted to
eliminate torsion.
T
O
R
S
I
O
N
Bridge Experiment

Build a people bridge to experiment with

the forces: compression, tension and
torsion
Have pairs of students face each other with
palms touching and feet flat and about 0.5 m
(1.5 ft) apart.

Have students slowly move their feet back

while keeping their palms touching until the
bridge feels balanced and they cannot back
up any further without falling over.
Bridge Experiment

Where on the bridge do students feel

forces of compression and tension?
Have one person move two steps to
the left. What happens to the balance
of the bridge?
How does torsion affect the stability
of the bridge?
What forces might cause the support
structure of a real bridge to rotate?
 Arch Bridges
Bixby Creek Bridge, Monterey, CA

Arch bridges are one of the

oldest types of bridges

Modern arch bridges span between

200-800 feet

The structure is completely unstable until the two

spans meet in the middle.

Have great natural strength.

 Arch Bridges
Bixby Creek Bridge, Monterey, CA

How it works:
Instead of pushing straight
down, the weight is carried
outward along the curve of the arch to the supports
at each end.
These supports, called abutments, carry the load
and keep the ends of the bridge from spreading
When supporting its own weight and the weight of
crossing traffic, every part of the arch is under
compression.
 Beam Bridge
A beam or "girder" bridge is
the simplest & most inexpensive
bridge.

Rarely span more than 250 feet.

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.
When a load pushes down on the beam, the beam's
top edge is pushed together (compression) while
the bottom edge is stretched (tension).
Beam Bridge

Lake Ponchartrain Causeway, Louisiana

The world's longest bridge is a continuous span
beam bridge.
Almost 24 miles long
Consists of two, two-lane sections that run
parallel to one another.
The Southbound Lane, completed in 1956, is made
up of 2243 separate spans,
The Northbound Lane, completed in 1969, is pieced
together from 1500 longer spans.
Suspension Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

Aesthetic, light, and strong

Can span 2,000 to 7,000 feet
-- longer than any other kind.
Also tend to be the most expensive.
Suspends the roadway from huge
main cables, which extend from one end of the
bridge to the other. These cables rest on top of
high towers and are secured at each end by
anchorages.
Most of the weight of the bridge is carried by the cables
to the anchorages,
Anchorages are imbedded in either solid rock or massive
concrete blocks.
Suspension Bridge
the cables are made of thousands of
individual steel wires bound tightly together.

Steel, which is very strong under tension, is an

ideal material for cables;

A single steel wire, only 0.1 inch thick, can support

over half a ton without breaking.

Because suspension bridges are light and flexible,

wind is always a serious concern
Suspension Bridge
Tacoma Narrows - Bridge Oscillation

 At the time it opened for traffic in 1940, the Tacoma

Narrows Bridge was the third longest suspension bridge in
the world.
 Nicknamed "Galloping Gertie," due to its behavior in wind.
Not only did the deck sway sideways, but vertical undulations also
appeared in quite moderate winds.
Drivers of cars reported that vehicles ahead of them would
completely disappear and reappear from view several times as they
crossed the bridge.
Attempts were made to stabilize the structure with cables and
hydraulic buffers, but they were unsuccessful.
On November 7, 1940, only four months after it opened, the Tacoma
Narrows Bridge collapsed in a wind of 42 mph -- even though the
structure was designed to withstand winds of up to 120 mph.

 In 1949 a new bridge was constructed.

 Cable Stayed Bridge
Clark Bridge, Alton, IL

 For medium length spans (those between 500 and 2,800 feet)
 Require less cable
 Are quickly built, resulting in a cost-effective bridge and is beautiful.
 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 difference lies in how the cables are connected to the towers.
 In suspension bridges, the cables ride freely across the towers, transmitting the load
to the anchorages at either end.
 In cable-stayed bridges, the cables are attached to the towers, which alone bear the
load.

Parallel attachment pattern Radial attachment pattern

Truss Bridges
 The truss is a simple skeletal structure.
 individual members are only subject to tension and
compression forces and not bending forces.
 Typical Span Lengths are 120 – 1500 feet
 Trusses are comprised of many small beams that
together can support a large amount of weight and span
great distances. The design, fabrication, and erection of
trusses is relatively simple.
 Like Beam bridges
 Ideal bridge for places where large parts or sections
cannot be shipped or where large equipment cannot be
used.
Truss Bridges
Because the truss is a hollow skeletal
structure, the roadway may pass over
or even through the structure allowing
for clearance below the bridge often not
possible with other bridge types
Truss Bridges
Warren Truss
The Warren truss pattern features a series of isoceles or
equilateral triangles. In contrast to the Pratt and Howe
patterns, the diagonals alternate in direction.
Warren trusses are typically used in spans of between 150-
300 feet
The most common truss. For smaller spans, no vertical
members are used lending the structure a simple look. For
longer spans vertical members are added providing extra
strength
Truss Bridges

Pratt Truss
The Pratt truss design contains a downward pointing
V in the center with parallel diagonals on each side.
Except for those diagonal members near the center,
all the diagonal members are subject to tension
forces only while the shorter vertical members handle
the compressive forces. This allows for thinner
diagonal members resulting in a more economic
design.
Truss Bridges
Howe Truss
The Howe truss pattern features an upward pointing
V formed by the central diagonals with parallel
diagonals on either side. Unlike the Pratt pattern the
diagonals will be in compression when loaded
It is the opposite of the Pratt truss. The diagonal
members face in the opposite direction and handle
compressive forces. This makes it very uneconomic
design for steel bridges and is rarely used.
Build Your Bridge!

Warren Truss

Pratt Truss

Howe Truss
Ohio River Bridge Project
Ohio River Bridge Project
Ohio River Bridge Project