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Bridges and their Types

Technical Report · March 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18109.46566

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A. Balasubramanian
University of Mysore
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 BRIDGES AND THEIR TYPES

By
Prof. A. Balasubramanian
Centre for Advanced Studies in Earth Science,
University of Mysore, Mysore

1. Introduction:

A bridge is a man-made structure built to avoid physical obstacles without closing the way underneath
such as a body of water, valley, or road. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the
obstacle. The first bridges made by humans were probably spans of cut wooden logs or planks and
eventually stones, using a simple support and crossbeam arrangement. The Romans built arch
bridges and aqueducts. The Romans also used cement, which reduced the variation of strength found
in natural stone. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of the
terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds
available to build it.

2. The major parts of Bridges

Every bridge can be divided broadly into three parts: Superstructure/ Substructure/ Foundation.

Superstructure:
Superstructure that part of the structure which supports traffic and includes deck, slab and girders. All
the parts of the bridge which is mounted on a supporting system can be classified as a Super structure.

Substructure:
Substructure that part of the structure, ie piers and abutments, which supports the superstructure and
which transfers the structural load to the foundations.

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Foundation:
Foundation is the component which transfers loads from the substructure to the bearing strata.
Depending on the geotechnical properties of the bearing strata, shallow or deep foundations are
adopted. Usually, piles and well foundations are adopted for bridge foundations.

Span - the distance between two bridge supports, whether they are columns, towers or the wall of a
canyon.
Deck is bridge floor directly carrying traffic loads. Deck transfers loads to the Girders depending on
the decking material.
Beam - a rigid, usually horizontal, structural element.
Beam / Girder:
Beam or girder is that part of superstructure which is under bending along the span. It is the load
bearing part which supports the deck.
Bearing : Bearing transfers loads from the girders to the pier caps.
Pier - a vertical supporting structure, such as a pillar.
Pier Cap / Headstock:
Pier Cap / Headstock is the component which transfers loads from the superstructure to the piers. Pier
cap provide sufficient seating for the Bridge girders.
Cantilever - a projecting structure supported only at one end, like a shelf bracket or a diving board.
Truss - a rigid frame composed of short, straight pieces joined to form a series of triangles or other
stable shapes.

Pile cap and Piles:

Pile foundation is the most commonly used foundation system for bridges. Pile is a slender
compression member driven into or formed in the ground to resist loads. A reinforced concrete mass
cast around the head of a group of piles to ensure they act together and distribute the load among them
it is known as pile cap.

3. Factors which will affect bridge structure are:

Forces/ Loads/Materials/Shapes .
Force - any action that tends to maintain or alter the position of a structure.
Compression - a force which acts to compress or shorten the thing it is acting on.
Tension - a force which acts to expand or lengthen the thing it is acting on.
Load - weight distribution throughout a structure.
Stable - (adj.) ability to resist collapse and deformation; stability (n.) characteristic of a structure that
is able to carry a realistic load without collapsing or deforming significantly.
Deform - to change shape.
Buckling is what happens when the force of compression overcomes an object's ability to handle
compression.

4. Types of Bridges:

All bridges are designed to allow loads to cross obstacles. These obstacles may rivers, valleys or
lakes. Generally the loads will either be vehicular traffic, pedestrians or animals.

There are four basic types of bridges.

These are Beam bridges, Arch bridges, Cantilever bridges and Suspension bridges. Bridges can twist
or bend under severe weather conditions which can have disastrous consequences. In order to prevent
this from happening bridges must be stiff enough to resist this movement and each member from
which the bridge is made must be strong enough to withstand the load which is placed upon it.
Bridges can be categorized in several different ways. Common categories include the type of

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structural elements used, by what they carry, whether they are fixed or movable, and by the materials
used.

Fixed or moveable bridges

Fixed –
Most bridges are fixed bridges, meaning they have no moving parts and stay in one place until they
fail or are demolished. They are designed to stay where they are made to the point they are deemed
unusable or demolished.

Temporary bridges –
Bridges made from modular basic components that can be moved by medium or light machinery.
They are usually used in military engineering or in circumstances when fixed bridges are repaired.

Moveable –
They have moveable decks, most often powered by electricity.

Classification of bridges based on structures:

Bridges may be classified by how the forces of tension, compression, bending, torsion and shear are
distributed through their structure.

ARCH BEAM TRUSS

CANTILEVER SUSPENSION BRIDGE ROVING BRIDGE

Bridges by Structure

1. Arch bridges –

Arch bridges have abutments at each end. The weight of the bridge is thrust into the abutments at
either side. The earliest known arch bridges were built by the Greeks. These bridges uses arch as a
main structural component (arch is always located below the bridge, never above it). They are made
with one or more hinges, depending of what kind of load and stress forces they must endure.
The arch bridge has great natural strength. Thousands of years ago, Romans built arches out of stone.
Today, most arch bridges are made of steel or concrete, and they can span up to 800 feet. They are
often chosen for their strength and appearance.
Forces: the compressive forces created by the load are transferred down through the arch and resisted
by the supports, or abutments, at its base. Abutment support prevents the arch spreading under load.
Advantages: they are very strong and can be built from a wide range of materials.
Disadvantages: limited spans unless multiple arches (or viaducts) are used and uneconomical use of
materials.

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2. Beam bridges are the oldest and simplest bridge design consisting of vertical piers and horizontal
beams - e.g. just a simple plank or stone slab. They are suitable only for short spans but can used for
larger crossings by adding additional piers.

Forces: As the bridge is loaded, by traffic for example, the beam bends which causes the top surface
to be compressed and the bottom surface to be stretched or put in tension.
Advantages: they are easy to build and inexpensive relative to other bridge types so are very
common.
Disadvantages: they have a limited span and do not allow large boats or vehicles to pass underneath.

3. The truss bridge consists of an assembly of triangles. Truss bridges are commonly made from a
series of straight, steel bars.

Rigid arms extend from both sides of two piers. Diagonal steel tubes, projecting from the top and
bottom of each pier, hold the arms in place. The arms that project toward the middle are only
supported on one side, like really strong diving boards. These "diving boards," called cantilever arms,
support a third, central span.

Truss Bridges are structures built up by jointing together lengths of material to form an open
framework - based mainly on triangles because of their rigidity. They are very strong and can support
heavy loads.
Forces: As with a Beam Bridge the top of a loaded truss is placed in compression and bottom in
tension. These forces are shared among the angled members.
Advantages:They are very strong and make efficient use of materials.
Disadantages:They are more complex to construct and need a high level of maintenance.

4. Cantilever bridges are based on structures that project horizontally into space, supported at only
one end - like a spring board.
Forces: if two cantilevers project out from a central pier the forces are balanced.
Advantages: more easily constructed at difficult crossings by virtue of using little or no falsework.
Disadvantages: complex structures and can be dificult to maintain.
Tied arch bridges – Tied arch bridges have an arch-shaped superstructure, but differ from
conventional arch bridges. Instead of transferring the weight of the bridge and traffic loads into thrust
forces into the abutments, the ends of the arches are restrained by tension in the bottom chord of the
structure. These are similar to arch bridges, but they transfer weight of the bridge and traffic load to
the top chord that is connected to the bottom cords in bridge foundation. They are often called
bowstring arches or bowstring bridges.

5. Suspension bridges main elements are a pair of main suspension cables stretching over two towers
and attached at each end to an anchor buried deep in the ground. Smaller vertical suspender cables are
attached to the main cables to support the deck below.
Forces: any load applied to the bridge is transformed into a tension in the main cables which have to
be firmly anchored to resist it.
Advantages: strong and can span long distances such as across rivers.
Disadvantages: expensive and complex to build.

6. Cable-stayed bridges may appear to be similar to suspension bridges, but in fact they are quite
different in principle and in their construction. There are two major classes of cable-stayed bridges:
Fan type, which are the most efficient, and Harp or parallel type, which allow more space for the
fixings.
Forces: As traffic pushes down on the roadway, the cables, to which the roadway is attached, transfer
the load to the towers, putting them in compression. Tension is constantly acting on the cables, which
are stretched because they are attached to the roadway.

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 Advantages: good for medium spans, greater stiffness than the suspension bridge, can be constructed
by cantilevering out from the tower, horizontal forces balance so large ground anchorages are not
required.
Disadvantages: typically more expensive than other types of bridge, except suspension bridges.

7. ROVING BRIDGE

A roving bridge, changeline bridge or turnover bridge is a bridge over a canal constructed to
allow a horse towing a boat to cross the canal when the towpath changes sides.

Types of Bridges by use :

 Car Traffic bridge– The most common type of bridge, with two or more lanes designed to
carry car and truck traffic of various intensities.
 Pedestrian bridge – Usually made in urban environments, or in terrain where car transport is
inaccessible (rough mountainous terrain, forests, etc.).
 Double-decked bridge– Built to provide best possible flow of traffic across bodies of water
or rough terrain. Most offen they have large amount of car lanes, and sometimes have
dedicated area for train tracks.
 Train bridges – Bridges made specifically to carry one or multiple lane of train tracks.
 Pipelines – Bridges made to carry pipelines across water or inaccessible terrains. Pipelines
can carry water, air, gas and communication cables.
 Viaducts – A viaduct is made up of multiple bridges connected into one longer
structure. Ancient structures created to carry water from water rich areas to dry cities.
 Commercial bridges – Modern bridges that host commercial buildings such as restaurants
and shops.

Types of Bridges by materials used:

 Natural materials
 Wood
 Stone
 Concrete and Steel
 Advanced materials

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