Introduction to Railway Bridges

Bridge is the
KEY ELEMENT
of a
Transportation
System
 Bridges
• Bridge is a structure which covers a gap
• Generally bridges carry a road or railway across a
natural or artificial obstacle such as, a river, canal or
another railway or another road
• Bridge is a structure corresponding to the heaviest
responsibility in carrying a free flow of transport and
is the most significant component of a transportation
system in case of communication over
spacings/gaps for whatever reason such as aquatic
obstacles, valleys and gorges etc.
 Bridges Nos. %age
Important 687 0.44%
Major 12339 7.81%
Minor 141081 89.37%
ROB 3751 2.38%
Total 1,57,858

Ref: BMS MARCH 2022

Age of Bridges Nos %age

100+ Yr 37689 25.12%

80+ Yr 50629 33.74%

60+ Yr 61716 41.13%

Type of Bridge Nos. % age
Triangulated Girde 864 0.59
RSJ/ Plate Girder 8863 6.01
Composite Girder 286 0.19
PSC Girder 2282 1.55
RCC Girder 662 0.45
PSC Slab 11405 7.73
RCC Slab 34198 23.18
RCC Box Culvert 32735 22.19
Arch Bridge 17939 12.16
Rail openings 912 0.62
Timber top 32 0.02
bridges
Stone slab bridges 5338 3.62
Other type 32007 21.70
 BRIDGE ORGANISATION
PCE

CBE
THOD
Dy
Sr. DEN CE/BRIDGE

ADEN ABE
SSE/W SSE/P W SSE/BR

IOW PWI BRI

 MAIN ELEMENT OF BRIDGES

1) Superstructure
• Track Structure
• Girder
• Bearing
2) Substructure
• Bed Block
• Training & Protective Works
• Pier/Abutment/Wing Wall
• Foundations
3) Monolithic Bridge : like Pipe Culvert, Box Culvert and
Arch act like one unit.
CLASSIFICATION OF
BRIDGES
 1. ACCORDING TO SPAN OR OPENING

1) Minor Bridge
• Individual span < 12 m & Total Lineal Waterway< 18 m
2) Major Bridge
• Individual span ≥12 M or Total Lineal Waterway ≥ 18 M
3) Important Bridges –
• Total Lineal waterway 300 M OR
• Total Waterway 1000M2 OR
• Those classified as ‘IMPORTANT BY CE/CBE due to their
depth of W.Way, Extent of River Training Works & Past
History Maintenance Problem.
 2. ACCORDING TO FUNCTION

1)Track Bridge (for rail vehicle)

• Over water bodies i.e River/ Nallah /Canal
• Over Valley (viaduct)
• Over Railway (Fly-over)
• Over Road (RUB)
2) Road Bridge (For Road Vehicle)
• Over Railway (ROB)
3) Rail cum Road Bridge
• Over river
4) Foot over Bridge (For pedestrian)
• Over Railway (On platform for public)
5) Pipe Line Bridge
- Over Railway
6) Aquaduct
- Canal or Nallah over Track
 3. ACCORDING TO MATERIAL OF
CONSTRUCTION OF SUPER
STRUCTURE
1) Timber Bridge (obsolete)
2) Masonry Arch – Stone & Brick
• In lime Mortar & Cement Mortar respectively
3) Steel Bridge
• Riveted Fabrication
• Welded Fabrication
4) RCC Bridge
5) Pre-stressed Concrete Bridge
6) Composite (Steel & Concrete) Bridge
4. ACCORDING TO FORM OR TYPE
OF SUPERSTRUCTURE

1) Pipe Culvert
2) RCC Slab
3) Rail opening (Only on branch line)
4) Rail Cluster (Only on branch line)
5) RCC Box Culvert
6) Steel Plate Girder
7) Steel Open Web Girder
8) Arch Bridge
9) RCC/PSC ‘T” or “I” Beam Bridge
10) RCC/PSC Box Girder
11) Suspension Bridge
12) Cable Stayed Bridge
13) Bow String Bridge
14) Moveable Bridge
 5. ACCORDING TO STRUCTURAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF SUPER STRUCTURE

1) Simply supported
2) Continuous
3) Cantilever
4) Balanced Cantilever
5) Cable Stayed
6) Suspension
7) Rigid Frame.
Arch Bridge
Bowstring Bridge
Cable Stayed Bridge
Suspension Bridge
Suspension Bridge
Suspension Bridge: Forces
RIGID FRAME
 6. ACCORDING TO LEVEL OF
FLOOR SYSTEMS
1) Deck Type – (Track Structure on Top Flange or Chord)
2) Through Type (Track structure Floor System Connected
to Bottom Chord Panel)
3) Semi Through Type (Track Structure Floor System
Connected to Web and no top Bracings).
Plate Girder and Open web Girder
SEMI THROUGH TRUSS
PLATE GIRDER
 PLATE GIRDER

BEARING STIFFENER INTERMEDIAT STIFFENER BOTTOM LATERAL BRACING

WEB PLATE

CLEAR SPAN

CENTRE OF BEARINGS

ELEVATION
 PLATE GIRDER

CROSS

CROSS FRAME TOP LATERAL BRACING MAIN GIRDERS

PLAN
PLATE GIRDER
CROSS SECTION

MAIN GIRDER

END CROSS FRAME

BEARING
BED BLOCK
Open Web Girder Bridges

Through Girder

Under
Slung
BOGIBEEL BRIDGE
Through girder
bridge
Through girder bridge
OPEN WEB THROUGH
SPAN
TOP CHORD DIAGONALS
VERTICALS END RACKER

U1 U2 U3 U4 U5

L0 L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6
BOTTOM CHORD

ELEVATION
TOP
PLAN

TOP LATERAL BRACING KNEE PORTAL

PORTAL

SWAY BRACINGS
PLAN AT FLOOR
LAVEL

STRINGERS CROSS GIRDER MAIN GIRDER BOTTOM LATERAL BRACING

L'0 L'1 L'2 L'3 L'4 L'5 L'6

STRINGER BRACINGS

L0 L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6
A truss is a simple structure whose members are subject to axial
compression and tension only and but not bending moment.
The most common truss types are Warren truss, Pratt truss and Howe
truss.

Warren Truss
Warren truss contains a series of isosceles triangles or equilateral
triangles. To increase the span length of the truss bridge, verticals are
added for Warren Truss.

Pratt Truss
Pratt truss is characterized by having its diagonal members (except the
end diagonals) slanted down towards the middle of the bridge span.
Under such structural arrangement, when subject to external loads
tension is induced in diagonal members while the vertical members
tackle compressive forces. Hence, thinner and lighter steel or iron can
be used as materials for diagonal members so that a more efficient
structure can be enhanced.
Howe Truss

The design of Howe truss is the opposite to that of Pratt truss in which
the diagonal members are slanted in the direction opposite to that of
Pratt truss (i.e. slanting away from the middle of bridge span) and as
such compressive forces are generated in diagonal members.
Hence, it is not economical to use steel members to handle
compressive force.

K-Truss

For heavy loads on a truss structure, the depth of the truss is

intentionally made larger so as to increase the bending resistance and
to reduce deflection. With the increase in length of the vertical struts,
buckling may occur under vertical loads. Therefore, K-truss is
designed in such as way that the vertical struts are supported by
compression diagonals.
Warren
Trusses
K-
Truss
Beam
Bridge
MOVEABLE BRIDGES :
•Swing Bridge
•Bascule Bridge
•Lifting Bridge
Bascule
Bridges
Swing
Bridges
Lifting
bridges
7. ACCORDING TO TYPE OF
SERVICE

1) Permanent
2) Temporary
• Restricted Head Girder (RH Girder)
• Callender-Hamilton Bridge
• Pantoon Bridge
TEMPORATY BRIDGES
Type of girder Span
1. Rail Cluster 3660mm (12’)
2 RH Girder a) 1800mm
(Plate girder type, b) 7200mm (24’)
duplicate girders) c) 9680mm(31’-9”)
d) 13200mm (44”)
e) 16400mm (53’-6”)
f) 26480mm (87”)
3. Calendar Hamilton a) 24400mm (80’)
Girder(open web b) 30500mm (100’)
through type) c) 45700mm (150’)
d) 61000mm (200’)
4. Standard Span a) 12200mm (40’)
(Plate girders) b) 18300mm (60’)
c) 24400mm (80’)
Pontoon
Bridges
Title: Master List of Drawings of
Bridges & Structures Directorate,
RDSO.

BS-28

(Revision 21, version 1.7) MAY 2017

http://10.100.2.4/drawing/
frmPage.aspx?id=15
8. ACCORDING TO METHOD OF
CONNECTION (STEEL GIRDER)

1) Riveted
2) Welded
3) Bolted
9. ACCORDING TO LEVEL OF
DECKING WITH REFERENCE TO
HFL

1) High Level bridge

2) Causeway or Irish Bridge
3) Siphon Bridge
10. ACCORDING TO RAILWAY GAUGE

1) Broad Gauge (BG – 1676 MM)

2) Metre Gauge (MG – 1000 MM)
3) Narrow Gauge (NG – 762 MM)
11. ACCORDING TO LOADING
Broad Gauge
• DFC
• 25 T
• MBG – 1987 (Modified Broad Gauge)
• RBG – 1975 (Revised Broad Gauge)
• BGML (Main Line)
• BGBL (Branch Line)
DFC 32.5 12.13 126T 25% of axle load per LOCO axle and
13.4% of train load.
 2000
COMPARESION OF LOADINGS EUDL(BM)
1900
1800 BGML
1700
1600
RBG
1500
1400
1300
MBG
1200
25T
EUDL FOR BM+CDA

1100
1000
900
DFC
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1. 2. 4. 6. 8. 10. 12. 14. 16. 18. 20. 22. 24. 26. 27. 28. 30. 32. 34. 36. 38. 40. 42. 44. 46. 48. 50. 55. 60. 65. 70. 75. 80. 85. 90. 95. 00. 05. 10. 15. 20. 25. 30.
SPAN 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
 140
COMPARESION OF TRACTIVE FORCE
130

120

2000
BGML COMPARESION OF LOADINGS EUDL(BM)
110
1900
1800
RBG
100
1700
1600
MBG
90
1500
80 25t or DFC
1400
1300
BGML
70 RBG
25 t with dispersion
TE (T)

1200
MBG
EUDL FOR BM+CDA

1100
60
1000 25T
900 50
800
700 40

600
30
500
400
20
300
200 10
100
0 0
1.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

20.0

22.0

24.0

26.0

28.0

30.0

32.0

34.0

36.0

38.0
.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 00 05 10 15 20 25 30
SPAN 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
-10

-20
SPAN
 Bridge related Codes and Manuals
1 IRS Bridge Rule (Upto ACS-49)
2 Indian Railways Bridge Manual -(Upto ACS-38)
IRS Concrete Bridge Code (Code of Practice for Plain, Reinforced &
3 Prestressed Concrete for General Bridge Construction)(Upto ACS-08)

4 IRS Bridge Sub-Structures and Foundation Code (Upto ACS-8)

Indian Railway Standard Specification for Fabrication and Erection of Steel
5 Girder Bridges and Locomotive Turn-Tables (IRS B-1)(
Upto ACS 11)
Manual on the Design and Construction of Well and Pile Foundations(Upto
6 ACS 03)
Indian Railway Standard Code of Practice for The Design of Steel or Wroug
7 ht Iron Bridges Carrying Rail, Road or Pedestrian Traffic (Steel Bridge Code
Incorporated
IRS Welded Bridge Code (Code Practice for Metal arc Welding in Mild Steel
8 Upto ACS 22)
Bridges carrying Rail, Rail-cum-Road or Pedestrian traffic)-(
Upto ACS- 02)
9 Arch Bridge Code (Upto ACS-09)
10 Indian Railway Standard Seismic Code
 n k s
T h a
Scherzer Span – Pamban Bridge
 PAMBAN BRIDGE
Pamban Bridge is connecting
Mandapam and Rameswaram INDIA
stations in Tamilnadu.
It is situated in Madurai
PAMBAN BRIDGE
division of Southern Railway.
This bridge was opened on 24th
February, 1914.
Scherzer Rolling Lifting ADAM’s BRIDGE

Bascule Bridge- patented by

SRI LANKA
William Scherzer in 1893 and
hence this span is named
Scherzer span.