Bridge:

Any structure having an opening not less than 6.1 m (20 ft) that forms part of a highway or that is
located over or under a highway.

Culvert:

Culvert is a cross drainage work whose length (total length between the inner faces of dirtwalls) is
less than 6.1 m (20 ft).

Components of Bridges:

Railing and
Railing Post

Side Walk
Kerb
Wearing Deck Slab
Surface

Girder
Super-Structure

Bearing
Intemediate

Pier Cap
Sub-Structure

Pier

Pile Cap

Pile

Figure: Cross Section Components of Bridge

Girder Bearing

Abutment

Pier Cap

Pier

Pile Cap

Pile

Figure: Long Section Components of Bridge

Table 1 Traditional Minimum Depths for Constant Depth Superstructures.

Minimum Depth (Including Deck) When variable

depth members are used, values may be adjusted
Superstructure to account for changes in relative stiffness of
positive and negative moment sections
Material Type Simple Spans Continuous Spans

Slabs with main 1.2( + 3000) ( + 3000)

reinforcement parallel to 165 mm
traffic 30 30
Reinforced
Concrete T-Beams 0.070L 0.065L
Box Beams 0.060L 0.055L
Pedestrian Structure
0.035L 0.033L
Beams
Slabs 0.030L 165 mm 0.027L 165 mm
CIP Box Beams 0.045L 0.040L
Prestressed
Precast I-Beams 0.045L 0.040L
Concrete
Pedestrian Structure
0.033L 0.030L
Beams
Adjacent Box Beams 0.030L 0.025L
Overall Depth of
0.040L 0.032L
Composite I-Beam
Steel Depth of I-Beam Portion
0.033L 0.027L
of Composite I-Beam
Trusses 0.100L 0.100L

LOADS AND LOAD FACTORS

i. PERMANENT LOADS
Dead Loads: DC, DW, and EV
Dead load shall include the weight of all components of the structure, appurtenances and utilities attached thereto,
earth cover, wearing surface, future overlays, and planned widenings.

In the absence of more precise information, the densities, specified in Table 1, may be used for dead loads. Table
1 provides traditional densities. The density of granular materials depends upon the degree of compaction
and water content. The density of concrete is primarily affected by the density of the aggregate, which varies by
geological location and increases with concrete compressive strength. The density of reinforced concrete is
generally taken as 72 kg/m3 greater than the density of plain concrete. The values provided for wood include the
mass of mandatory preservatives. The mass of transit rails, etc., is to be used only for preliminary design.

Table 3.5.1-1 Densities

Density
Material
(kg/m3)
Aluminum Alloys 2800
Bituminous Wearing Surfaces 2250
Cast Iron 7200
Cinder Filling 960
Compacted Sand, Silt, or Clay 1925
Low-density 1775
Sand-low-density 1925
Concrete
Normal Density with 35 MPa 2320
Normal Density with 35 < 105 MPa 2240 + 2.29
 Loose Sand, Silt, or Gravel 1600
Soft Clay 1600
Rolled Gravel, Macadam, or Ballast 2250
Steel 7850
Stone Masonry 2725
Hard 960
Wood
Soft 800
Fresh 1000
Water
Salt 1025
Mass per Unit Length
Item
(kg/mm)
Transit Rails, Ties, and Fastening per Track 0.30

Earth Loads: EH, ES, and DD

Earth pressure, earth surcharge, and downdrag loads shall be as specified in Article 3.11.

ii. LIVE LOADS

Gravity Loads: LL and PL
Vehicular Live Load
3.6.1.1.1 Number of Design Lanes
Generally, the number of design lanes should be
determined by taking the integer part of the ratio w/3600,
where w is the clear roadway width in mm between curbs
and/or barriers. Possible future changes in the physical or
functional clear roadway width of the bridge should be
considered.
C3.6.1.1.1
In cases where the traffic lanes are less than 3600 mm
wide, the number of design lanes shall be equal to the
number of traffic lanes, and the width of the design lane
shall be taken as the width of the traffic lane.
Roadway widths from 6000 to 7200 mm shall have
two design lanes, each equal to one-half the roadway
width.
It is not the intention of this Article to promote bridges
with narrow traffic lanes. Wherever possible, bridges
should be built to accommodate the standard design lane
and appropriate shoulders.

Design Vehicular Live Load

3.6.1.2.1 General Vehicular live loading on the roadways of bridges or incidental structures, designated
HL-93, shall consist of a combination of the:

Design truck or design tandem, and
Design lane load.
 Design Truck
The weights and spacings of axles and wheels for the
design truck shall be as specified in Figure 1. A dynamic
load allowance shall be considered as specified in
Article 3.6.2.
Except as specified in Articles 3.6.1.3.1 and 3.6.1.4.1,
the spacing between the two 145 000-N axles shall be
varied between 4300 and 9000 mm to produce extreme
force effects.

Design Tandem
The design tandem shall consist of a pair of 110 000-N
axles spaced 1200 mm apart. The transverse spacing of
wheels shall be taken as 1800 mm. A dynamic load
allowance shall be considered as specified in Article 3.6.2.

Design Lane Load

The design lane load shall consist of a load of 9.3
N/mm uniformly distributed in the longitudinal direction.
Transversely, the design lane load shall be assumed to be
uniformly distributed over a 3000-mm width. The force
effects from the design lane load shall not be subject to a
dynamic load allowance.