Bridges

Types&Components
Types
HighwayBridges
GirderBridge
TrussBridge
ArchBridge
DrawBridge
LiftSpanBridge
LongspanBridges
Cablestayedbridge
SuspensionBridge

GirderBridge

Agirderbridgeisperhapsthemostcommonandmostbasicbridge.
I-beam girders
Box-girders
(steel)
(can be concrete, steel)

TypicalSpanLengths:10m150m
TrussBridge
Individualmembersofasimpletrussareonlysubjecttotensionandcompression
forcesbutnotbendingforces
Inmostcasesthedesign,fabrication,anderectionoftrussesisrelativelysimple
SpaceTrusssystemoccupiedalotsofspace
TypicalSpanLengths:40m500m
WarrenTruss
mostcommontruss

diagonalmembersprovidedthestiffness
PrattTruss
Diagonalmembersaresubjecttotensionforcesonly
Shorterverticalmembershandlethecompressiveforces
Resultinmoreeconomicdesigns(thinnerdiagonal)

Howetruss

e.g.FirthofForthBridgeScotland
Forth Railway Bridge. A train passing over the bridge emphasizes the massive scale of
the tubular members.
DrawBridge

LiftSpanBridge

ArchBridge

Keystonethewedgeshapedstoneofanarchthatlocksitspartstogether(means
important)
Abutmentsthestructuresthatsupporttheendsofthebridge
WorksbyCompression
ArchBridge
Veryefficientandwellsuitedfortheuseofstone
Archesaregoodchoicesforcrossingvalleysandriverssincethearchdoesn'trequire
piersinthecenter
Thecurvedstructureprovidesahighresistancetobendingforces
Bothendsarefixedinthehorizontaldirectionandhorizontalforcesdevelopedinthe
bearings
Canonlybeusedwherethegroundorfoundationissolidandstable
TypicalSpanLengths:40m150m

Hingelessarch
Rigidfoundationneeded
Verystiff

Twohingedarch
Hingedbearings
Mostcommontype

Threehingedarch
Additionalhingeatthetop

Tiedarch
Girder"ties"bothendsofthearchtogether
Example:RichmondBridgecirca1823OldestBridgeinAustralia
SydneyHarbourBridge
AbuDhabi2010
nearKAISTJune2012

CablestayedBridge
1. Pierstheverticalsupportingstructures
2. Cablesthicksteelropesfromwhichthedeckingissuspended
3. Deckingthesupportedroadwayonabridge
WorksbyTensionANDCompression
Cablestayedbridgeisacontinuousgirderwithoneormoretowerserectedabove
piersinthemiddleofthespan.Fromthesetowers,cablesstretchdowndiagonally
(usuallytobothsides)andsupportthegirder
Steelcablesareextremelystrongbutveryflexible.Cablesareveryeconomicalas
theyallowaslenderandlighterstructurewhichisstillabletospangreatdistances.
Thoughonlyafewcablesarestrongenoughtosupporttheentirebridge,their
flexibilitymakesthemweaktoaforcewerarelyconsiderinthepast:thewind
Forlongerspancablestayedbridges,carefulstudiesmustbemadetoguaranteethe
stabilityofthecablesandthebridgeinthewind

TypicalSpanLengths:500m1500m

Towers

Cablearrangements

Examples:
TinKauBridge
6thLongestinworldwhencompleted1998
Top35upto2010
3pylonconfiguration
475mMainspan
StonecuttersBridge
2ndlongestinworld
Completed2009
1018mmainspan
HongKongShenzhenWesternCorridor
KapShuiMunBridge
Top50longestCSBto

2010
LongestCSBintheworldtransportingbothroadandrailwaytraffic.
Completed:1997
MainSpan:430m

SuspensionBridge
SimilartoCableStayed
Differentconstructionmethod
WorksbyTensionandCompression
Ofallthebridgetypesinusetoday,thesuspensionbridgeallowsforthelongest
spans(upto2000m)
Atypicalsuspensionbridgeisacontinuousgirderwithoneormoretowerserected
abovepiersinthemiddleofthespan.Thegirderitselfitusuallyatrussorboxgirder
thoughinshorterspans,plategirdersarenotuncommon.Atbothendsofthebridge
largeanchorsorcounterweightsareplacedtoholdtheendsofthecables.
Themaincablesarestretchedfromoneanchoroverthetopsofthetower(s)and
attachedtotheoppositeanchor.Thecablespassoveraspecialstructureknownasa
saddle.Thesaddleallowsthecablestoslideasloadspullfromonesideortheother
andtosmoothlytransfertheloadfromthecablestothetower.
Typicalform

Saddles

AkashiKaikyoBridge,(1998)WorldsLongestbridge
MainSpan1991m
TheJanuary17,1995Kobeearthquakehaditsepicenterrightbetweenthetwotowers
oftheAkashiStraitsBridge.Theoriginalplannedlengthwas1990metresforthe
mainspan,buttheseismiceventmovedthetowersapartbyalmostameter.Since
constructionofthedeckhadnotyetbegun,thechangewaseasilyaccommodatedin
theslightlyalteredfinaldesign.
Thetowersofthebridgecontaintunedmassdampersinordertodiminishthe
vibrationsinthestructureduringearthquakesandtyphoons.

TsingMaBridge
2ndLongestSuspensionbridgeasat1997
(LongestwasHumberBridge(UK),mainspan1410m1981)
9thlongest
Stillthelongestcarryingroadandrailtraffic
Completed:1997
Mainspan:1,377m
BridgeAestheticsUnresolvedDuality
DuttonHorseBridge,MerseyRiverNorthwich,UK
DuttonHorseBridgeisanattractivebridge.However,twospanbridgesarereputedto
sufferfromtheproblemofthe"unresolvedduality",wheretheviewerlacksaprimary
visualfocusandsofeelsdiscomfited.Experimentalstudiesshowthatviewers
consistentlypreferoneorthreespanbridgestothosewithtwospans

TinKauBridge

BridgeDesign

Vehicleloading(Movingloadanalysis)
Influencelineanalysis
Movingloadstressanalysis

BoxgirderBridge

Mainspan:250m
Rigidportalframesconnectedbysimplysupporteddropingirder
RCboxgirder
TypeofElement:Shellelementforallthecomponents
BridgeBoundaryCondition
6D.O.F.Springtomodelthetranslationandrotationstiffnessofthefoundation
DeadloadAnalysisResults:
Deformationunderthedeadload,
Stressinshellelementunderthedeadload

ContinuoussteelboxgirderbridgeovertheRhine,Bonn,Germany,1967.Note
varyingdepthoftheboxsections

SteelboxgirderbridgeinKoblenz,Germany,collapsedduringconstructiondueto
buckling.SimilarcollapsesoccurredatMillfordHaven,Wales,1970(4deaths),and
theWestgateFreewayBridge,Melbourne,1970(35deaths),bothdesignedby
FreemanFox.

WestgateBridge,Melbourne

BridgeDesign
BridgeModelingExample

BalancedCantilever

InternalPostTensioning
ExternalPostTensioning

SuspensionBridge
Bearings(allowsmovement)
Types:
1. Fixed
2. Expand
Material:
1. Steel
2. Neoprene,Teflon

DeckJoints
Types
Expansion
Fixed
Styles

 Watertight
Open
RionAntirionBridge
(CharilaosTrikoupisBridge)