BRIDGE
ENGINEERING
ENGR. HANS DARREN S. UBALDO
Introduction
Types of Bridges
AGENDA Factors to Consider which
Type of Bridge to be used
Bridge Terminologies
INTRODUCTION TO
BRIDGE ENGINEERING
WHAT IS A BRIDGE?
A bridge is a structure providing passage over an obstacle
without closing the way beneath. The required passage may
be for a road, a railway, pedestrians, a canal or a pipeline. The
obstacle to be crossed may be a river, a road, railway or a
valley.
In other words, bridge is a structure for carrying the road traffic
or other moving loads over a depression or obstruction such
as channel, road or railway.
A bridge is an arrangement made to cross an obstacle in the
form of a low ground or a stream or a river without closing the
way beneath
WHAT IS A BRIDGE?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Bridge : Structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a
depression or obstacle
American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
Bridges : Any structure having an opening not less than
6100 mm (20ft) that forms part of a highway or that is
located over or under a highway
• Anything smaller is just a culvert
SPAN LENGTH
TYPES OF BRIDGES
ACCORDING TO TRAFFIC
▪ Highway Bridge (trucks and cars)
▪ Pedestrian Bridge (pedestrians and bicycles)
▪ Railway Bridge (trains)
▪ Transit Guideway (city trains/monorail)
▪ Other types (pipelines, utilities, industrial, aqueduct,
airport structure)
ACCORDING TO TRAFFIC POSITION
▪ Deck Type
- structural component under the deck
- preferred by driver ( can clearly see the view)
- requires space under the bridge
▪ Through Type
- structural component above the deck
- obstructed view
- no structure under the bridge
ACCORDING TO
MATERIAL & FABRICATION
▪ Material
- Masonry
- Timber
- Reinforced Concrete (RC)
- Prestressed Concrete (PC)
- Steel
- Composite
▪Fabrications
- Precast (RC/PC)
- Cast-in-place (RC/PC)
- Pretensioned (PC)
- Posttensioned (PC)
- Prefabricated (Steel)
- Bolted (Steel / Timber)
- Welded (Steel)
ACCORDING TO
STRUCTURAL FORM
▪ Arch
▪ Beam/Girder
▪ Truss
▪ Cable-stayed
▪ Suspension
ARCH BRIDGE
Arch bridges are one of the oldest types of bridges and have
great natural strength.
Instead of pushing straight down,
the weight of an arch bridge
is carried outward along the
curve of the arch to the supports
at each end. These supports,
called the abutments, carry the
load and keep the ends of the
bridge from spreading out.
BEAM/GIRDER BRIDGE
The most basic type of bridge. Typically consists of a beam
simply supported on each side by a support and can be
made continuous later.
Typically inexpensive to build.
BEAM/GIRDER BRIDGE
Currently, most of the beam bridges are precast (in case of
RC and PC) or prefabricated
Most are simply-supported
Simply supported
Cantilever
Continuous
BEAM/GIRDER BRIDGE
TRUSS BRIDGE
All beams in a truss bridge are straight.
Trusses are comprised of many small beams that together
can support a large amount of weight and span great
distances.
Typical Span lengths: 40m-500m
SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Suspension bridge needs to
have very strong main cables
Cables are anchored at the
abutment
SUSPENSION BRIDGE
All the forces are transferred from the deck through the
cables to the pylon
Roadway deck can be : (Prestressed) Concrete Box Deck
Steel Box Deck
Steel Truss Deck
MOVEABLE BRIDGE
A moveable bridge is a bridge that moves to allow passage
(usually) for boats or barges.
Lift
Swing
Bascule
FACTORS TO CONSIDER
WHICH TYPE OF BRIDGE TO BE USED:
• Span Length • Constructability
• Cost • Technology/Equipment Available
• Materials Available • Access for Maintenance
• Site Condition • Aesthetics
SPAN LENGTH
Slab Type Min Max
Slab 0 12
Concrete Girder
Concrete Girder 10 220
Steel Girder
Steel Girder 10 270
Cable-Stayed Concrete Cable-Stayed Concrete 90 250
Cable-Stayed Steel Cable-Stayed Steel 90 350
Steel Truss 90 550
Steel Truss
Concrete Arch 90 300
Concrete Arch
Steel Truss Arch 250 500
Steel Truss Arch Steel Rib Arch 120 370
Steel Rib Arch Steel Suspension 300 2000
Steel Suspension
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Span Length (m)
COST VS. SPAN LENGTH
• The span length may be influenced by the
cost of superstructure (cost/meter) and
substructure (cost/pier)
• If the cost of substructure is about 25% of the
total cost, shorter span is more cost-
effective
• If the substructure cost is bout 50% of the
total cost, longer spans are more economical
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
MATERIALS
• Steel
• Concrete
• Cast-in-place
• Precast
• Material choice depends on the cost of material
at the bridge site
• Shipping cost from fabricators
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
SITE REQUIREMENTS
• Is the bridge straight or curved
• Precast I-Girder cannot be curved
• Segmental prestressed can have slight
curve
• Cast-in-place
• Is shipping channel required?
• Shipping of prefabricated pieces to site
• Is the temporary falsework required? Can it
be done with site condition?
CONSTRUCTABILITY
• In urban areas, the construction of bridges may
disrupt the traffic
• Prefabricated/precast members are the
only choice
• Substructure construction may disrupt
traffic more than superstructures erection
(may consider longer spans)
TECHNOLOGY/EQUIPMENT
AVAILABLE
ACCESS FOR MAINTAINANCE
• Total Cost = Initial Cost + Maintenance Cost
• Bridge should be made easy to inspect and
maintain
• Maintenance cost may govern the selection of
bridge
• Steel Bridges need a lot of maintenance in
costal regions
• Concrete Bridges usually require the least
maintenance
AESTHETICS
Qualities result from the appropriate arrangement of visual design elements
and are used to elevate a visual composition. These design qualities are
intangible; they are perceived qualities that arise from relationships of
design elements
CONTEXT COMPREHENSIVENESS COST CONSTRUCTABILITY
All projects from a The designs that No discussion of No discussion of
simple creek bridge work best are those design consideration aesthetics is
to the longest multi that take aesthetics can be conducted complete without
span water crossing into account right realistically without considering
must first be from the start. asking “How much is constructability.
considered with a it going to cost?”
view to the context in
the context in which
it is located.
AESTHETICS
• An ugly bridge, however safe, serviceable,
and inexpensive, is not a good bridge
• Long span bridge over a river can be a
landmark, thus, aesthetics should be an
important factor
• Bridge should blend with the environment
• Smooth transition between members
• Avoid unnecessary decorations
• Bridge should have an appearance of
adequate strength
AESTHETICS
• Determinant of bridge’s appearance (in order of
importance)
• Vertical and horizontal geometry relative to
the surrounding topography and other
structures
• Superstructure type
• Pier placement
• Abutment placement
• Superstructure shape, parapet, and railings
• Pier Shape
• Abutment Shape
• Color, Surface texture, ornamentations
• Signing, Lighting, Landscaping
BRIDGE TERMINOLOGIES
SLAB ON GIRDER BRIGE
SUPERSTRUCTURE – comprises all the components of the bridge above the supports.
SUBSTRUCTURE – includes the piers, the abutments and the foundations.
TYPICAL BRIDGE COMPONENTS
SUBSTRUCTURE
• Abutments are earth-retaining
structures which support the
superstructure at the beginning
and end of a bridge.
• The abutments establish the
connection between the bridge
superstructure and the
embankments
• Designed to support the loads due
to the superstructure which are
transmitted through the bearings
and to the pressures of the soil
contained by the abutment.
• A wing wall is a side wall to the
abutment back wall or stem
designed to assist in confining
earth behind the abutment.
SUBSTRUCTURE
• Piers are structures which support the
superstructure at intermediate points
between the end supports (abutments) .
• Like abutments, piers come in a variety of
forms. From an aesthetic standpoint, piers
are one of the most visible components of a
bridge and can make the difference between
a visually pleasing structure and an
unattractive one.
SUBSTRUCTURE
• Bearing is a structural device positioned
between bridge superstructure and
substructure which transmit the vertical and
horizontal loads of the superstructure to the
substructure, and accommodate movements
between the superstructure and the
substructure
Role of Bearing
✓ To transmit load from superstructure to
substructure
✓ Accommodate relative movement
between superstructure and
substructure
Types
Fixed Bearing - rotational movement only
Expansion Bearing - rotational movement
and translational movement
THANK YOU
