Bridge Engineering
Bridge Engineering
Design Process
Nirjhar Dhang
√
Version : 1.732 : 3
Created on : July 11, 2016
Last revision : July 24, 2024
Module A : Introduction, Schedule and Planning of
Bridges
Module A4.1 : Planning
Module A4.2 : Procurement
Module A4.3 : Design Process
Design Process
Design Process
The design process of a bridge can be divided into four basic
stages:
conceptual,
preliminary,
detailed, and
construction design.
The purpose of the conceptual design is to come up with various
feasible bridge schemes and to decide on one or more final
concepts for further consideration
Establishing the Criteria
Codes and Specifications
Project specific design criteria
Type, volume, and magnitude of traffic to be carried by the
bridge
Clearances required by the type of traffic on the deck
Navigation clearance under the bridge
Environmental effects such as earthquake, wind, flood, and
other possible natural phenomena
Geological formation and soil characteristics at the site
Economic conditions or available project funding
Expectations of the stakeholders on form and aesthetics
Characteristics of Bridge Structures
Bridge Types
Girder bridge
Arch Bridge
Cable-stayed Bridge
Suspension Bridge
Basic Structural Elements
Know the limits
Maximum Possible Spans
Characteristics of Bridge Structures
Common wisdom suggests that
girder bridges and arch bridges are good for short to
medium spans, whereas
cable-stayed bridges are good for medium to longer spans,
and
suspension bridges are good for very long spans.
Based on this assumption,some engineers established rules to
assign a span range for each of these bridge types.
For example, in the 1960s, the reasonable maximum span length
of a cable-stayed bridge was thought to be approximately 450 m
and that of a girder bridge was thought to be approximately 250
m.
These previously held theories did not last long as cable-stayed
bridges with spans of over 1000 m have been completed since
then.
Basic Structural Elements
Some structures may look very simple and some structures may
look very complex.
But every structure is made up of only four basic types of
structural elements, and each one is dominated by one type of
function.
They are :
axial force elements (A elements),
bending elements (B elements),
curved elements (C elements), and
torsional elements (T elements)
which can be abbreviated as the ABCT of structures.
Basic Structural Elements
The first three types of elements are sufficient to compose almost
all structure types
A-B-C of Structure
Design Process
Load Path
Taking Advantage of Redundancy: Permanent Load Condition
Prestressing and Load Balancing
Live Load and Other Loads
Earthquake and Wind
Know the Limits
When a bridge span is very long, various technical problems are
faced.
The most prominent problems are the following:
Girder stiffness in the transverse direction
Reduction in cable efficiency of very long cables in a
cable-stayed bridge
Torsional stiffness of the main girder
Allowable stresses of the construction materials
Know the Limits
Deriving a new bridge concept to fit the given boundary
conditions is a very common way to arrive at a new bridge
concept.
For example, if an 800m span is required according to the
navigational or other criteria, then the structure should be either
a cable-stayed bridge or a suspension bridge.
If the soil conditions are not good for anchoring large horizontal
forces at either end of the bridge, then a cable-stayed bridge is
the natural choice.
Know the Limits
Currently, our experience indicates that a concrete cable-stayed
bridge is too heavy and thus not economical for such a span
length.
The solution would be to choose between steel or composite
(steel frame with a concrete deck) girder based on economy and
local construction experience.
Local construction experience is very important because it
directly affects the cost of construction.
Know the Limits
Then, we have to decide what the cross section of the girder
should be.
Should it be a box girder or a truss? Should it be streamline
shaped, trapezoidal, or rectangular?
Throughout the process, aesthetics is a concern.
How should the towers look?
What material should be used for the towers?
What color combination will look best for the structural
components?
How should the aesthetic lighting be arranged?
Know the Limits
Also important are such technical issues as
aerodynamic effects,
seismic movements,
foundation settlements, and
thermal movements.
Due consideration should also be given to
durability,
maintainability,
constructability,
life cycle costs, and
environmental requirements
Little by little, we make selections among possible options
and
we finally arrive at a concept that satisfies all of the conditions
imposed upon the structure.
The Dagu Bridge, Tianjin, China
The Dagu Bridge, Tianjin, China
The Dagu Bridge, Tianjin, China
The Dagu Bridge in Tianjin, China is a good example of this type
of derivative process
The bridge is over the Haihe, a river running diagonally across
Tianjin, a city with a population of approximately 11 million.
The bridge is located at the center of the city in an area
designated for recreation and entertainment.
The owner desired a signature bridge that could be symbolic of
the city.
The river is approximately 96 m wide at the bridge location, so a
106mm span was chosen to keep the piers out of the river.
The Dagu Bridge, Tianjin, China
The bridge carries six lanes of traffic and two pedestrian paths
with a minimum width of approximately 32 m.
The deck connects to local streets in both ends so the elevation
is fixed.
The navigation clearance of the river thus limits the girder depth
to approximately 1.4 m.
It is also located in a high seismic zone and the soil is relatively
soft - a condition that precludes an earth-anchored suspension
bridge or a true arch bridge.
A tied-arch was selected after the owner had excluded girder
bridges,suspension bridges, and cable-stayed bridges
The Dagu Bridge, Tianjin, China
From there on, the process of derivation proceeded as follows :
Owing to navigation requirements of the river, the arches
must be placed above the deck.
A regular arch bridge would have two arch ribs, one each
side of the deck. They would have been over 32 m apart.
The girder is <1.4 m deep, which is not sufficient to span a
32 m-wide deck transversely. So, the two arches are moved
to the edges of the traffic lanes. They are then about 24 m
apart.
If the two arch ribs are not connected to each other, they
would have to be quite bulky in order to avoid lateral
buckling. This is aesthetically not acceptable; two vertical
arch ribs appear mundane.
The Dagu Bridge, Tianjin, China
Tying the two arch ribs together with struts can stabilize the
arch ribs so they can be relatively slender. But this would look
too messy for a small span. It is aesthetically not acceptable.
For the 106m span, a basket-handle configuration would appear
too flat.
In the end, a three-dimensional structural system is used by
having two planes of hangers for each arch rib. This solves the
lateral buckling problem. Thus, the ribs can be made very
slender indeed.
With two planes of cables stabilizing each arch rib, it is possible
to tilt the arch ribs outwards so passengers on the bridge deck
will have a very open view.
The Dagu Bridge, Tianjin, China
The surrounding landscape is
asymmetrical;
The height of one arch is made
higher than the other to
mimic the asymmetrical
landscape and make the
bridge look more intriguing.
The taller arch has a steeper
inclination so that it does not
lean too far outward.
The Dagu Bridge, Tianjin, China
The Dagu Bridge, Tianjin, China
References
References
Bridge Engineering Handbook
Second Edition
Edited by
Wai-Fah Chen and Lian Duan
CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group
Chapter 1 : Conceptual Design
Chapter 2 : Aesthetics : Basics
Chapter 4 : Planning of Major Fixed Links
