Steel Truss bridge

Steel is widely used around the world for the construction of bridges from the very large to the
very small. It is a versatile and effective material that provides efficient and sustainable
solutions. Steel has long been recognised as the economic option for a range of bridges. It
dominates the markets for long span bridges, railway bridges, footbridges, and medium span
highway bridges. It is now increasingly the choice for shorter span highway structures as well.
Society gains in many ways from the benefits delivered by steel bridge solutions. Landmark
steel bridges embody good design, they are fast to build, and have stimulated the regeneration
of many former industrial, dock and canalside areas.
A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure
of connected elements usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically
straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic
loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges. The basic types
of truss bridges shown in this article have simple designs which could be easily analyzed by
19th- and early 20th-century engineers. A truss bridge is economical to construct because it
uses materials efficiently.

Fig: - Integral members of Steel Truss Bridge.

The Advantages of Truss Bridges

Economical to Build
Very Strong
Road Placement
Road Placement

The Disadvantages of Truss Bridges

Complicated Design
Maintenance
Waste of Materials
Economics
Steel has long been recognized as the economic option for a range of bridges, because it
represents the most efficient use of resources. It dominates the markets for long span bridges,
railway bridges, footbridges, and medium span highway bridges. It is now increasingly the
choice for shorter span highway structures as well.

Structural steel is a high quality material that is readily available worldwide in various
certified grades, in products of various shapes and sizes. Prefabrication of steelwork in
controlled factory conditions leads to high quality work at minimum cost. The excellent
quality control is achieved through a thorough testing regime at the steel mills and during the
construction processes of cutting & drilling, fit-up, welding and painting. The quality
assurance that is attained should give confidence to all clients and engineers who specify steel
for their bridge project.
The high strength to weight ratio of steel minimises the structural weight of superstructures
and thus minimises the substructure costs, which is particularly beneficial in poor ground
conditions. Minimum self-weight is also an important factor in the cost of transporting and
handling components. Use of steel facilitates shallow construction depths, which overcomes
problems with headroom and flood clearances, and minimises the length and cost of approach
embankments.
Case Studies
Albert Bridge
Albert Bridge having total span of 208m is a heritage-listed railway bridge of steel truss design
crossing the Brisbane River between Indooroopilly and Chelmer in the City of
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Henry Charles Stanley and built from
1894 to 1895 by John McCormick & Son. The Albert Bridge
links Indooroopilly and Chelmer railway station. The structure consists of two steel spans
supported by masonry abutments and a central concrete pier that is encased in an iron caisson.
It is a fully riveted structure consisting of two arched "hogsback" mild steel trusses supported
on stone abutments either side, and on a central concrete pier. This pier is encased in an
elliptical wrought- iron caisson to low water level, then built up with masonry to
the truss bearings. Each truss is 103.7 metres long, 12.6 metres high in the middle, 8.2 metres
wide, and weighs approximately 606 tonnes. The total project cost was $40 million.

Iron Cove Bridge

Iron Cove Bridge is a steel truss bridge linking the suburbs of Drummoyne to Rozelle in New
South Wales, Australia. The total length of bridge is 468 m having width of 13.5m. The vertical
clearance from below is 12m. It was completed in February 2011. The total construction cost was
$100 million. The length of maximum span is 52m.
Burdekin Bridge
The Burdekin Bridge (known as the Burdekin River Bridge or Silver Link) spans the Burdekin
River between the towns of Ayr and Home Hill, Queensland, Australia. Located on the Bruce
Highway which is part of Highway 1, it is an important link in the national road network. It is
a road-rail bridge which provides high flood immunity link between north and south
Queensland.
The Bridge was completed in 1957. Construction began 10 years earlier in 1947. At 1097
metres (3,600 ft) in length, it is one of the longest multi-span bridges in Australia and longer
than Brisbane's Story Bridge or New South Wales's Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge.
The total length of bridge is 1097m consisting 10 main spans. The total project cost is $160
million.

Design Description
As the total span of bridge is 1150m out of which span of 190m consist of river. Therefore,
following arrangement of different spans are proposed for bridges.

General arrangement of spans

The Single span of truss is as follow: -

The Cross section of truss is as follow: -