INTRODUCTION of truss bridge

A bridge is a civil structure, which facilitates the movement of vehicles over and or across a particular such as a river or canal, and can vary in many different ways. Some bridges are made of wood or stone, whilst others are made from concrete and iron, with each material lending to different properties and limits of the bridge, with steel being the most often used today. A truss bridge is one of the main categories of bridges, which employs newtons laws of motion to understand that only forces of tension and compression. It operates by carrying vertical loads by bending, which in turn leads to compression in the horizontal members. Simultaneously, tension is induced in the bottom members, and either tension or compression caused in diagonal members depending on their orientation. Due to such actions, loads such as vehicles are able to be dealt with efficiently by a truss bridge. The type of truss bridge analyzed in this project, is a pratt bridge, located along the Eastern Main road, providing an overpass to the St.Josephs River. In this probe, the bridge was analyzed based on its elements, current condition and characteristics. Also, wear on the abutments as well as the bridge itself was noted, as they may have ranged from scouring to rusting as well as corrosion.

HISTORY of bridge

The pratt bridge was developed in the 19th century as the demand for strong and economical bridges grew. Stone bridges were expensive whilst wooden bridges had short lifespan due to weathering. Hence the pratt bridge seemed like an ingenious replacement for its other two counterparts. The pratt truss bridge under (B 1/7 EMR) being examined, is located along the east-bound lane of the Eastern Main Road, St. Joseph. It is said to have been constructed over 50 years ago, during the colonial days of the country. Such an access bridge would have been important due to its location as an access point to other key areas such as tunapuna and curepe. It is also said that the main contractor for B 1/7 was an Appleby Frodingham, a British steel company located in Lincolnshire, England, at that time. Further information as to the exact history of B 1/7 is not available, as quoted by a Mr. Mahadeo Jagdeo, chief bridges engineer at the Ministry of Works.

Analysis

After observing the characteristics and condition of B 1/7 EMR, it was evident that maintenance and upkeep of the bridge was non-existent as factors such as scouring of the abutments, as well as rusting of the beams, were noticed.

Upon arrival at the site, works to the eastern abutment were taking place, whereby labourers were constructing a retaining wall. Such a motion was logical, so as to reduce the effect of erosion on the soil adjacent to the abutment, which would in turn affect the abutments integrity, and by extension the truss bridge itself. Such a process would have been caused due to the surface run off from the road, as well as the lack of some sort of vegetation to hold the soil together. As a result of this erosion, the soil and boulders seemed to have been moving into the river, contributing to another element known as sedimentation.

At the eastern abutment, sedimentation was seen to be occurring, whereby the materials washed from upstream were deposited at this meander, as well as those washed from the adjacent soils. As a result of this sedimentation, deposits could be found at the base of the abutment, which, if allowed to continue, could affect the flow of the river.

Another major factor observed near the abutment of the bridge was scouring. A scour is the hole left behind when soil or sediment (sand and rocks) is washed away from the bottom of a river. Although scour may occur at any time, it is especially prominent during periods of increased water flow. This is so because swiftly flowing water is able to carry sediments downriver due to it having more energy than calm water. In this particular case the abutment of B 1/7 stands at a meander, where all the force is concentrated. Due to this characteristic, the force of water smashes against the abutment, which causes scouring and undermining before it actually changes direction. This effect was evident when observing the condition of the abutment of B 1/7. DIAGRAM There are three main types of scouring that affects bridges:

1) Local scour is removal of sediment from around bridge piers or abutments. (Piers are the pillars supporting a bridge. Abutments are the supports at each end of a bridge.) Water flowing past a pier or abutment may scoop out holes in the sediment; these holes are known as scour holes.

2) Contraction scour is the removal of sediment from the bottom and sides of the river. Contraction scour is caused by an increase in speed of the water as it moves through a bridge opening that is narrower than the natural river channel. 3) Degradational scour is the general removal of sediment from the river bottom by the flow of the river. This sediment removal and resultant lowering of the river bottom is a natural process, but may remove large amounts of sediment over time.

DIAGRAM!! The impact of the forces brought on by the river were also shown by the destruction of the concrete embankment at the front of the abutment. The water seemed to have entirely broken it up, as depicted in fig XXX. Such a result gives an idea of the great forces that come into play when the st. Joseph river carries a heavy flow over time.

Also, at the meander, there was a great deal of debree, also known as sediments. The process of sedimentation occurs when the river deposits materials downstream due to the lack of sufficient energy to continue carrying the loads. At the middle of the river coarse, a great deal of sediments were noticed to be collecting. Such an issue calls for measures such as sediment removal, or even dredging. During the site visit, an escavator was seen manouvering through the channel, as works nearby the abutment was being done. It should also be mentioned, that a few metres downstream from the abutment, construction of gabion baskets was taking place. This mitigation measure prevents and or limits the erosion of materials, by breaking down the hydraulic action brought on by the river. The boulders are secured by thick galvanized wire which ensures that they are able to adapt to ground movement lending to the rigidity of the system. The gabion baskets together form a gabion wall, which is even strengthened over time as silt and vegetation fills the voids between boulders, and reinforce the structure. PICTURE

Description of Site The B 1/7 EMR pratt truss bridge is located a few metres east of the La Joya gym facility, along the eastbound lane of the eastern main road. It supports single lane traffic in the said direction, with sidewalks on either side of the bridge, on either side of the bridge. This pratt truss bridge, is made up of 9 pairs of vertical members that stand XXX tall, with XXX connecting horizontal members, coupled with XXX downward sloping diagonals. The members of the bridge come together to make up the structure, which sits on two concrete abutments located at each end. the asphalt was layed upon concrete slabs which were

Summary On 8th February, 2011, the Year 1 Civil and Environmental Engineering class of the University of the West Indies, St.Augustine conducted a site visit to a truss bridge located along the eastern main road, in the vicinity of St. Joseph. The main purpose of this visit was to observe and analyze the characteristics of the said bridge, as well as the immediate surroundings. Sketches were made, and photographs taken so as to better understand and research the various properties and problems faced by the bridge. Such factors include rusting and lack of maintenance of the actual structure, as well as scouring and sedimentation at the abutment.