By :

Prof.Dr.\Nabil Mahmoud

Content
1-Introduction
2-Parts of steel Bridge
3-Loads on bridge
4-Allowable stresses
5-Fatigue
6-Plate girder
7-Length of flange plate girder
8-Connection of flange plate with web
9-Web stiffnner
10-Web splice
11-Splice of flange plate
12-Maximum defleciton in Bridge
13-Bearing
14-Road way bridge

1-Introdution
1.1

Introduction
1.2 Railway Bridge
1.3 Highway Bridge
1.4 Types of Bridges

1.1 Introduction
Most

bridges are built for the transportation

of highway or railway traffic across natural
or artificial obstacles. A deck bridge
supports the roadway or railway on its top
chords (truss bridge) or flanges (plate girder
bridge), while a through bridge supports the
floor system at or near the lower chords or
flanges, so that traffic passes through the
supporting structure (main girder).

The rolled-beam bridge supports its roadway

directly on the top flanges of a series of rolled
beams placed parallel to the direction of traffic
and extending from abutment to abutment. It is
simple and economical. It may also be used for
multiple spans where piers or intermediate bents
can be built economically. Beam bridges may be
economical for spans up to 15 m. a typical beam
bridge for highway traffic is illustrated in
Fig. (1.1).

For crossings greater than those which can be

spanned economically by a rolled-beam bridge,
(deck or through) plate-girder bridges may be used.
In this simplest form, a plate girder consists of three
plates (two flanges and web) welded together in the
form of an I. Ties and rails for railway bridges may
rest directly on the top flanges of the deck plategirder bridge. When clearance below the structure
is limited, a through plate girder bridge is used. The
floor system may consist of a single line of
stringers under each rail, supported by floor beams
(cross girders) forming into the main girders just
above their lower flanges.

If an open floor is objectionable, ballast may be laid on

concrete or steel-plate decking supported by closely spaced
floor beams (cross girders) without stringers. Knee braces
(U frames) are used to support the top flanges of through
bridges, as illustrated in Fig. (1.2) . Highway plate-girder
bridges are usually of the deck type. The floor slab is
usually supported directly on the main girder, as in the
beam bridge Fig. (1.1).
In orthotropic steel-deck plate construction the floor
consists of a steel deck plate stiffened in two mutually
perpendicular directions by a system of longitudinal and
transverse ribs welded to it (Fig. (1.3)). The deck structure
functions as the top flange of the main girder and floor
beams. This system makes efficient and economical use of
materials, particularly for long-span construction.

When the crossing is too long to be spanned

economically by plate girders, a through or deck
truss bridge may be used. Deck bridges are more
economical than through bridges because the
trusses can be placed closer together, so that the
span of the floor beam is shortened. For multiple
spans there is also a saving in the height of the
piers.

back

1.2 Railway Bridge

The stringers, cross girders and the main girders are the
main load carrying members. The design of various
elements is done in the sequence in which the load is
transmitted. In railway bridge, there will be either an open
timber floor or a ballasted floor.

STRINGERS
CROSS-GIRDERS
MAIN

GIRDERS

1.3 Highway Bridge

The floor is a part of bridge which carries the load directly. The
floor system in case of Highway Bridges generally consists of
reinforced concrete slab or steel deck plate and wearing surface.
In case of deck type plate girder Highway Bridges, the slab is
supported directly by the plate girders. In case of through type
Highway Bridges, the reinforced concrete slab is supported on
stringers, and cross-girders, or by the cross-girders alone. Many
times, the reinforced concrete slab provides its own traffic
surface. In addition to this, the bituminous, asphalt or carpet
surface is also furnished. This acts as a wearing surface. The
design of reinforced concrete slab has not been discussed in the
text.
STRINGERS

CROSS-GIRDERS
MAIN

GIRDERS

Figure (1.4) shows the common types of simplespan bridge trusses. By varying the depth of a truss
throughout its length (Fig. 1.4c) forces in the chord
members can be more nearly equalized and the
forces in the web reduced. Trusses of economical
proportions usually result if the angle between
diagonals and verticals ranges from 45 to 60.
However, if long-span trusses are made deep
enough for adequate rigidity as well as for economy

, a suitable slope of the diagonals may produce

panels too long for an economical floor system.
Using the subdivided panels (Figure 1.4(f and g))
solve this problem. Certain objections to
subdivided panels overcome with the invention of
the K truss (Fig. 1.4h).
Cantilever bridges(Fig. 2.2) , continuous bridges
(Fig. 2.3), arch bridges (Fig. 2.4), suspension
bridges (Fig. 2.5) and three Chord Bridge (Fig.
2.6) are common types of structures suitable for
long spans.

A cantilever bridge consists of two shore, or anchor,

spans flanked by cantilever arms supporting a suspended
simple span. Positive bending moments are decreased
because of the shorter simple beam, while the cantilever
and anchor arms subjected to negative bending moments.
Positive bending moments in continuous bridges are
reduced because of the negative moments at the piers.
Arch bridges may be fixed, single-hinged, two-hinged, or
three-hinged. The principal supporting elements of the
suspension-bridge superstructure are the cables which
pass over the towers to be anchored in foundations at
each end.

Back

Figure 1-1

Figure 1-2

Back
Figure 1-3

Back
Figure 1-4

1.4 Types of Bridges

Introduction
In designing the different parts of a bridge we must
investigate carefully how the loads are transmitted from
one member to the next. We must follow the loads from the
point of application up to the abutment. All members and
all connections should have the same factor of safety. The
strength of the whole structure depends on the weak part.
The design of the details is just as important as the design
of the main members; failure is generally caused by a weak
or wrong detail. For the computation and design of the
different parts of a steel bridge, the same method is used as
for the corresponding members of steel buildings

But on account of the bigger spans and greater loads, much

bigger cross section is required. Bridges can be classified
according to many factors like purpose of the bridge,
system of main girders, considering the position of the
bridge floor, square or skew bridge, and fixed or movable
bridges. In the following section we can see these different
classifications.

1.5 Classification of bridges

1.5.1 Classification according to purpose of the bridge

a. Railway Bridge.
b. Roadway Bridge.
c.

Foot bridge.

d.

Combined bridge as Embaba Bridge.

1.5.2 Classification according to system of Main Girder

a-Simple Bridge.
The main girders are resting on two supports only. They
may be: - beams, plate
girders or trusses. One of the supports is hinged while the
other is movable and thus these bridges are externally
statically determinate. But internally they may be either
determinate or indeterminate.
b-Continuous Bridge.
The main girders are continuous trusses or plate girders on
three or more supports. One bearing only of each girder is
hinged, while all the other must be movable to avoid

temperature stresses. Vertical loads acting on a continuous

girder give also vertical reactions, but the bridge is statically
indeterminate. A settlement of one of the piers produces
additional stresses; therefore continuous bridges should be
built in places where we have firm soils.
c- Cantilever Bridge.
The main girders extended over several spans but they have
many intermediate hinges that the reactions are statically
determine. For n supports we have to odd n-2 hinges. In a
cantilever bridge the settlement of support does not affect
the stresses. When foundation is not firm enough, either
simple bridges or cantilever bridges should be used.

D- Arch Bridges.
An arch is a structure which under vertical loads produces
inclined reactions at both supports.
We have 3-hinged, 2-hinged and fixed arches.
1-Three-hinged arches are statically determinate; hence,
horizontal displacement of the abutments does not produce
any additional stresses on the structural system.
2- Two-hinged arches and the fixed arches are statically
indeterminate; hence, displacement of the abutments
produces additional stresses in the structural system.
Furthermore, foundations of such arches should be on rock
or on very solid gravel.

e- Suspension Bridges.
Cables of suspension bridges are made from very high
tensile steel. The allowable deflection is about 10 cm.
The floor is hung by vertical suspenders from cables. These
cables are carried by vertical steel towers A-Q, B-V over
which it posses and are anchored at P and V.
A saddle top of each tower is provided to relieve the tower
from B.M. The reaction at top of tower is nearly vertical.
Stiffening, girders must be used to reduce the deflection
and vibration of the bridge due to the moving loads.
Suspension bridges are of good appearance but they are
economical only for long spans (> 300 m).
F- Cable stayed bridges

G- Three Chord System Bridges.

The arch trusses with a tie bow-string are simply
supported. They are externally statically determinate, and
once internally statically indeterminate. They are good
appearance but rather expansive than trusses with two
chords.
1.5.3 Classification according to position of bridge
floor Fig(2-7)

a- Deck Bridge.
In which the floor is or near the top chord or flange of the
main girders.

b- Through Bridge.
In which the floor is or near the bottom chord or flange of
the main girders. The distance (h) is called the height of
construction, it is the height between the top of rails or road
way and the lowest line of the bracing.
If there is a sufficient height of construction a deck bridge
should always be arranged as it is more economical stiffer,
and of better appearance than through bridge.
In a railway deck bridge the distance between the two main
girders can be made less than in a through bridge therefore
the weight of the cross-girder and wind bracing would be
less.In Roadway bridge, the reinforced concrete floor may
rest on several main girders.

1.5.4 Classification according to the layout of the

bridge (square or skew bridges)
The centerline of the square bridge is perpendicular to
centerline of the canal, while in skew bridge they are at
oblique angle. Fig(2-8)

1.5.5 Classification according to Fixed bridges and

Movable bridges.

Movable spans are required in bridges crossing navigable

streams if the height below the bridge is not sufficient for
the passage of ships.
Three major types of movable bridges are in common use:a- The vertical lift bridge.
b- The bascule bridge.
c-The swing bridge.

End bracket

SEC (A-A)

Scale=(1:50)

X.G
L.W.B

M.G

X.G

Stringer bracing

M.G
X.G

A
Lower

wind

bracing

End
bracket

Fig 2-1

Back

Systems of Main Girder

.End Stiff

Upper Flange
Web Plate
Lower Flange

L1 = (0.6 - 0.75) L2

L1

L2

Cantilever Plate Girder Bridge

C1

L1

L2

C1

L1

Structural System
.End Stiff

Upper Flange
Web Plate

L1

C1

Lower Flange

L2

C1

L1

C1

L1

Cantilever Plate Girder Bridge

L1

C1

L2

Structural System

Fig 2-2

Back

Systems of Main Girder

Transverse
Bracing

Web system
Upper Chord

L1 = 0.8 L2

Lower Chord

L2

L1

ContinuousTruss Bridge
.End Stiff

Upper Flange
Web Plate

L1 = (0.6 - 0.75) L2

Lower Flange

L2

L1

ContinuousTruss Bridge

Structural System

Fig 2-3

Back

Systems of Main Girder

Hinged Arch Bridge-3

L

Hinged Arch Bridge-2

L

Fixed Arch Bridge

L

Figure 2.4

Back

Systems of Main Girder

Saddle

Saddle

Cable

Stiffening Girder

Suspension Bridge

Figure 2.5

Back

Steel
Tower

Systems of Main Girder

Three Chord Truss Girder Bridge

Bow-String Truss Girder Bridge

Bow-String Plate Girder Bridge

Fig 2-6

Back

h = L/ 10

Upper Chord

m 1.5
Sleeper

B = Bridge Width

Back

Lower Chord

h = L/ 10

B = Bridge Width

h = L/ 10

Railway Through Bridge

B = Bridge Width

Railway Deck Bridge

Figure 2.7

Back

B = Bridge Width

.M.G

.M.G

B = Bridge Width

Square Bridge

.M.G

.M.G

SkewBridge

Fig 2-8

Back