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NS and Vivek-Innovation in Bridges-Components and Materials-NBM&CW-Sept 2018
NS and Vivek-Innovation in Bridges-Components and Materials-NBM&CW-Sept 2018
NS and Vivek-Innovation in Bridges-Components and Materials-NBM&CW-Sept 2018
Innovation in Bridges
Components and Materials
By Er. Vivek Abhyankar & Dr. N. Subramanian
Innovation in piers /
pylons (substructure)
Innovative design of the substructure of
bridges is also possible (i.e. pier ad pier-
caps). Selection of a type of pier depends
mainly on the loads from superstructure,
deck width, span length, pier heights,
seismic zone, water / wind loads, and any
underground utilities / roads.
Figure 1: Perales Bridge in Spain - Foundation exposed due to scour (up to 4m depth) on
left and additional forces acting on foundation due to scour (right) Correct selection of pier type decides the
success of a bridge project. Usually, in
the case of river bridges, a wall type of
pier is found to be very robust and is the
most preferred. Wall piers offer minimal
resistance to water and ice flows. Bridges
in the olden days, constructed in stone
masonry wall piers, are still standing. For
wider bridges and also for the ‘integral-
bridges’ (where the super-structure and the
sub-structure are monolithic, without any
Fig ure 2 and 3: Interlocked concrete blocks used for scour protection bearings) a ‘pile bent type pier’ configuration
is preferred. In the case of underlying road
time of tenders, this information may not exposed due to scour. Fig.2 shows a junction or some utility, where a regular pier
be available readily. At such a juncture, foundation’s protection using ‘concrete may not be possible (due to heavy traffic
the structural engineer has to depend on inter-locked blocks’. Fig.3 shows a closer the road cannot be stopped), a portal type
his past experience and judgment and view of these scour protection blocks. pier is most appropriate.
by conducting a local enquiry. Bridge Interlocked concrete blocks can be used Tee type Hammer head piers should be
foundations experience mainly three in small streams and rivers which are not considered for overpasses at high skews
challenging situations: perennial but have alluvial / weak soft with tight alignment constraints. This type
Deep foundation: When the load bearing strata (www.conteches.com). By using of pier provides an open appearance when
strata is softer or when the loading itself is these blocks, the scour can be effectively supporting structures with long spans (see
heavy (for long span bridges). controlled, leading to saving in the size of Fig. 4). It is more modern than the wall type
foundation and hence construction cost and is commonly used when a taller pier
Foundation in hard strata: When the
and time. However, in bigger perennial is necessary. It consists of a rectangular
foundation is placed in hard rocky strata
rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Mahanadi, or circular stem capped with a cantilever-
(with N value > 100), then the depth of the
and Bramhaputra, the use of such blocks type cap. It is cheaper to construct than
foundation will be less; this requires proper
is difficult, but Indian clients / contractors a wall type pier because less concrete is
anchoring of foundation in the hard rock.
should explore this as an effective option. used, and it is less intrusive to streams. It
Foundation in deep waters: When the
(Ref. Vivek – 19, 22) must be noted that two column piers are
foundation is placed in deep rivers or seas.
particularly vulnerable to collision damage
When the foundation of a bridge is in major
rivers (type ‘a’ and ‘c’ together), the strata
may be subjected to considerable scouring.
The mean scour depth may be estimated
as per IRC-78 clause 703.2. But the scour
depth estimated could often be very high
as the accuracy of the estimate depends
on the accuracy of the geotechnical data
and hydrological calculations of the flow.
In such cases, use of scour protection
blocks may be considered. Figure 1 shows
a typical bridge foundation damaged / Fig.4 Hammer head type pier (www.civildigital.com) Fig. 5 Cap and column pier
(www.civildigital.com)
Figure 6: Portal pier with circular columns Figure 7: Wall type pier
Figure 8: Innovative V-shaped steel pier (www. civildigital.com) Figure 9: Innovative Concrete pier
because if one of the columns is destroyed, a concrete grade beam installed between Multicolumn/pile bent or cap and column
the remaining column will not be able to the columns to provide additional collision pier, as shown in Fig. 5, is commonly
support the bridge, which will collapse. resistance and compensate for the lack of used, especially for highway overpasses.
Hence, two column piers should be structural redundancy. It consists of three or more round (1m
protected by a concrete barrier in front and diameter) reinforced concrete columns
Fig.10 Innovative Shape of Pylon of cable stayed bridge Fig.11 Innovative Shape of Steel Piers at Interchanges
Figure 12 ‘V’ shaped piers in Woodrow Wilson Bridge over Potomac River, Maryland, Virginia
(a seamless, box-girder bascule drawbridge) to reduce the bridge spans
capped with a continuous pier cap (1 to Normally, the vertical clearance required of these piers and the resulting response
1.2m thick) forming a rigid frame. Note the below road bridges is 5.5m, and in railway reduction factor R varies significantly (see
use of concrete grade beam. bridges up to 8m. However, in river also Goswami and Murty, 2005).
Apart from the various regular options bridges it could be more than 15m; this Apart from the various shapes covered
mentioned above (Figs 4 to 7), some leads to taller bridge piers. In such taller above, their aesthetics and structural
innovative shapes of piers (in steel or river-bridge piers the vessel collision load considerations (loading, geometry etc),
concrete), as shown in Fig. 8 and 9 have becomes inevitable, and to avoid collision, the green initiative deployed by Bangalore
been used. But these are mostly driven by a protection is provided all around the pier / metro is the Vertical Gardening on the
the aesthetic requirements of piers rather pylon using armor stones / concrete blocks piers (Fig. 15). This was first carried out
than the utility or loadings. Other innovative (tetrapod or acropods) as shown in Figs. in the Mexico City in 2012. The plants
shapes of pylons for a cable stayed 13 and 14 (see also Svensson, 2009). grow around the metal frames, which are
bridge and at an interchange are shown As mentioned earlier, in river bridges, a wall buffered against the piers with fabric to
respectively in Fig. 10 and 11. type pier is given preference over a column avoid damaging the highway structure.
The ‘V’ shaped piers shown in Fig.12 are or portal type pier due to the robustness. In Vertical gardens serve as air filters and
useful to reduce the unsupported span column type piers located in deep vigorous regulate heat, reducing temperature by
and hence ultimately useful to support rivers in higher seismic zones like western as much as eight degrees and can reduce
longer spans (C/C length). Often in wider Maharashtra (Konkan region), Jammu- almost 10 decibels of noise pollution.
and deeper waterways the navigational Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh, the issue of Hydroponics is a technique of growing
clearance demands column-free space; ductile detailing of piers become important, plants by using all required nutrients
also, the clearance below the bridge soffit and the identification of the location of through water, and without soil. It requires
is decided by the height of the maximum plastic hinges plays a vital role. Apart from minimum investment, maintenance, and
sized vessel used in the connected port. ductility, the natural time period of vibrations consumes minimum resources.
Figure 16: Foldable bridge spans (right – bascule Woodrow Wilson bridge, USA)
Figure 19: The Gateshead Millennium Bridge (a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge on River Tyne, England)
Figure 22: (a) Elevated junction of the West Cross Route and Westway at White City, London and (b) A pedestrian bridge in Shanghai,
China in the form of another raised roundabout
Innovations in Concretes
Several new types of concretes developed
include self-compacting concrete (SCC),
High performance concrete (HPC), Fibre
reinforced concrete (FRC), and Ultra
High-performance concrete (UHPC). This
is a high-strength, high stiffness, self-
consolidating, ductile material, formulated
by combining Portland cement, silica
fume, quartz flour, fine silica sand, high-
rise in sea levels, which average 3mm per in bridges, construction professionals are range water reducer, water, and steel or
year globally and up to 12mm per year in reluctant to use these traditional materials organic fibers]. Each of these materials
the western Pacific, in recent decades). in modern bridges. Great Roman bridges have their own advantages and can
Several attempts have been made to such as the Alcántara Bridge (also known be used judiciously by utilizing their
reduce the environmental effect of concrete, as Puente Trajan at Alcantara) and Pont advantages (FHWA-HRT-13-060, 2013 and
which is used in volumes, second only to du Gard, are stone arch bridges having Subramanian, 2018).
water. Attempts include use of industrial
by-products called supplementary
cementing materials (SCMs), like fly ash,
slag cement [formerly referred to as ground
granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS)],
silica fume, rice husk ash, and natural
pozzolans (metakaolin and calcined
shale). These can be used individually with
Portland or blended cement or in different
combinations. Additions of SCMs not only
make concrete mixtures more economical,
but also reduce heat of hydration and
permeability, increase strength, and
influence other concrete properties. SCMs
are compared in Table 1.
Although codes permit use of abundant
Figure 23: Alcántara Bridge at Alcántara, Spain built between 104 and 106 AD by an
natural materials such as stones and bricks
order of the Roman Emperor Trajan (Source wikipedia.org)
Bridges” The Bridge and Structural Engineer, Journal of ING/IABSE, Vol. 22. Vivek Abhyankar, ““Construction Longest Railway Bridge Project at
45, No.3, Sept. 2015, pp.29-41. Cochin”, Indian Society of Structural Engineers (ISSE) bulletin, Vol.11,
14. Subramanian, N., "Accelerated Bridge Construction With Folded Steel No.3, Jul-Sept.2009.
Plate Girders", The Bridge and Structural Engineer, Journal of ING/IABSE, About the Authors
Vol. 47, No.1, Mar. 2017, pp.94-102. Vivek G. Abhyankar – C.Eng (Ind), DGM (Design),
15. Subramanian, N., Building Materials, Testing, and Sustainability, Oxford L&T TIIC, has over 19 years of experience in
University Press, New Delhi, 2018 (to be published). planning and design, detailing of various enabling
16. Svensson, H., "Protection of bridge piers against ship collision", Steel and permanent works in concrete and steel. He was
Construction, Vol.2, No. 1,2009, pp.21-32 visiting faculty for Structural Engineering at VJTI,
SPCE, a certified structural engineer of MCGM, and
17. Vivek Abhyankar, “Learning for Civil Engineers from Recent Bridge
Collapses” The Bridge and Structural Engineer, Journal of ING/IABSE, life member of various professional bodies. He has
Vol. 47, No.1, Mar. 2017, pp.85-93. written more than 25 technical papers and 3 chapters
in books and guided more than ten M.Tech, AMIE
18. Vivek Abhyankar, “Various Hurdles in Design and Construction of Metro
projects.
Projects in India” – The Bridge and Structural Engineer, Journal of ING/
IABSE, Vol. 47, No. , , pp. Dr. N. Subramanian, a PhD from IIT Madras, has
worked in Germany as Alexander von Humboldt
19. Vivek Abhyankar, “Challenges in Design and Construction of Temporary
Fellow and has served as National Vice-President
Bridges Across water bodies”, The Indian Concrete Journal, Vol. 91, No.3,
of ICI and ACCE (I). He has 40 years of experience,
Mar.2017, pp.73-81.
including teaching, research, and consultancy and
20. Vivek Abhyankar, “Trends and Recent advancements in Bridge
has authored 25 books and over 240 technical
Launching Techniques” SEWC, Singapore, Sept. 2015, also Master
papers. He has won the Lifetime Achievement
Builder, Aug.2016.
Award from the Indian Concrete Institute (ICI), the
21. Vivek Abhyankar, “Prestressed Concrete Bridges for Nad-al-Sheba Race Tamil Nadu Scientist award and the ACCE(I)-Nagadi best book award for
Course Development Project, Dubai- Lessons Learnt”, NBM&CW, Vol., three of his books.
No., Mar. 2012, pp.