 What is a bridge.?

 History

 Importance Of Bridges 

 Different types of bridges

 Descriptions

 Culverts
 Bridge is a structure built to
span a valley, road, river, body
of water, or any other physical
obstacle.

 Designs of bridges will vary

depending on the function of the
bridge and the nature of the area
where the bridge is to be
constructed.
 History of Bridge Development

 The first bridges were made by nature itself. example- a fallen

tree over a stream.
 Humans then began placing logs or planks across gaps they
wanted to cross.
 History of Bridge Development

 The first bridges were made by nature itself. example- a fallen

tree over a stream.
 Humans then began placing logs or planks across gaps they
wanted to cross.
 History (cont’d)
 The first complex bridges built were done by the ancient Greeks
and Romans in the 13th century. Some of these are still standing!
 Importance Of Bridges 

 Connects Difficult Terrains

 Easy Trade and Transportation of Goods

 Reduces Travelling Time

 Military purposes

 Political and Economic importance

 Less Emission due to displacement 

 Basic Concepts

Span - the distance between two

bridge supports, whether they are
columns, towers or the wall of a
canyon.
Force -

 Compression

Tension
Compression Tension

Concrete has good compressive strength, but

extremely weak tensile strength. What about steel
cables?
 Basic Concepts

Beam - a rigid, usually horizontal,

structural element Beam

Pier

Pier - a vertical supporting structure, such

as a
pillar
Cantilever - a projecting structure supported only
at one end, like a shelf bracket or a diving board

Load - weight on a structure

There are six main types of bridges:
1. Beam bridges
2. Cantilever bridges
3. Arch bridges
4. Suspension bridges
5. Cable-stayed bridges and
6. Truss bridges
 Consists of a horizontal beam supported at
each end by piers. The weight of the beam
pushes straight down on the piers. The farther
apart its piers, the weaker the beam becomes.
This is why beam bridges rarely span more than
250 feet.
 Forces

When something pushes down on the

beam, the beam bends. Its top edge is pushed
together, and its bottom edge is pulled apart.
Span range Short

Material Timber, iron, steel, reinforced

concrete, prestressed concrete

Movable No
 A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using
cantilevers: structures that project
horizontally into space, supported on only
one end.
 The arch 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.
 Types of Bridges

Arch Bridges
Forces
The arch is squeezed together, and this
squeezing force is carried outward along the
curve to the supports at each end. The
supports, called abutments, push back on the
arch and prevent the ends of the arch from
spreading apart.
 Types of Bridges
Suspension Bridges

 This kind of bridges can span 2,000 to

7,000 feet - - way farther than any other
type of bridge! Most suspension bridges
have a truss system beneath the roadway to
resist bending and twisting.
 Types of Bridges

Suspension Bridges
Forces
 In all suspension bridges, the roadway
hangs from massive steel cables, which are
draped over two towers and secured into
solid concrete blocks, called anchorages,
on both ends of the bridge. The cars push
down on the roadway, but because the
roadway is suspended, the cables transfer
the load into compression in the two
towers. The two towers support most of
the bridge's weight.
 The cable stayed bridge is newer than the
other types of bridge. Large upright steel
supports are used to transmit the load into
the ground.
 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.
 Types of Bridges
Floating Bridge
 Pontoon bridges are supported by floating
pontoons with sufficient buoyancy to support the
bridge and dynamic loads.
 While pontoon bridges are usually temporary
structures, some are used for long periods of time.
 Permanent floating bridges are useful for
traversing features lacking strong bedrock for
traditional piers.
 Such bridges can require a section that is elevated,
or can be raised or removed, to allow ships to pass.
 Hydraulically short conduit which conveys
stream flow through a roadway embankment
or past some other type of flow obstruction
THANKS