INTRODUCTION TO

BRIDGE ENGINEERING
Bridge

A structure spanning physical

obstacles and providing
passage over body of water,
valley or road

Typically made of:

1. Concrete
2. Steel
3. Wood
 Parts of a Bridge

1. Superstructure
- Girders
- Diaphragms
- Deck slab

2. Substructure
- Coping
- Pier
- Abutment
- Foundation
Superstructure

CONCRETE
DECK
Superstructure

EXPANSION
JOINT
Superstructure

INTERIOR
DIAPHRAGM

MAIN
GIRDER
Shear Block

SHEAR BLOCK

PEDESTAL

COPING
Substructure

COPING

COLUMN
Substructure

COPING

SOLID SHAFT

FOOTING
 Types of Bridges (Material Type)

I. CONCRETE

1. Flat slab Bridge

2. Reinforced Concrete Deck Girder Bridge (RCDG)

3. Pre-stressed Concrete Girder Bridge (PSCG)

Flat Slab Bridge

Reinforced concrete slab

extending in two directions and
supported directly by concrete
columns

Span lengths
- typically ranging from 4m - 12m
Concrete Beam Bridges

1. Reinforced Concrete Deck Girder

Bridge

2. Pre-stressed Concrete Girder Bridge

GIRDER
- a horizontal main supporting
beam commonly used in bridge
construction
Reinforced Concrete Deck Girder

Reinforced concrete girders used as

main support of the deck slab

Span lengths
- typically ranging from 10m - 30m
Pre-stressed Concrete Girder

Reinforced concrete girder with

pre-stressing tendons

Span lengths
- up to 40m and
50m for modified
I-girders
Types of Bridges (Material Type)

II. STEEL

1. Steel Truss Bridge

2. Arch Bridge

3. Steel Plate Girder

4. Steel Box Girder

Steel Truss Bridge

Span lengths
- typically ranging from 40m 130m
Structural behavior
Compression
Stress
Arch Bridge

A curved structural member

spanning an opening serving as a
support for the roadway loads

Types of Arch Bridges

1. Through-arch
2. Tied-arch
Arch Bridge

Structural behavior of an arch bridge

Load
Load

Compression stress
Compression
stress
Horizontal reaction Tension stress
Vertical reaction
Vertical reaction

THROUGH ARCH TIED ARCH

Types of Bridges
(According to System of Design)

1. Simple Spans

2. Continuous Spans

3. Cable-stayed Bridge spans from 70m and over

4. Suspension Bridge - spans from 70m and over

Single Span Bridge
Three Span Bridge

For LONG BRIDGES,

superstructure needs to
have more than a support
at each end

Extra supports are called

PIERS
Cable-stayed Bridge

Cables are suspended

diagonally from the tower to the
bridge girder

Types of cable-stayed bridge:

1. Harp Design

2. Fan Design
Suspension Bridge

Deck is hung below main

suspension cables by hanger
ropes

Suspension cables are

suspended between towers and
have a group of parallel wires
bundled together to support the
stiffening girders/trusses
BRIDGE TYPE (STRUCTURAL)

CABLE STAYED SUSPENSION

 STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR

Vertical load

Tension stress Tension stress Tension stress

Vertical load

Compression load

CABLE STAYED VS. SUSPENSION

ABUTMENT

Left Wingwall
Right Wingwall

Bridge Approach Expansion Joint

Girder

Backwall / Main structure

Bearing
Scour/Bank Protection
Foundation
Water Level
Water Level
Abutment

1. Abutment on spread 2. Abutment on piles

foundation
Types of Abutments
PIER

Expansion Joint

Bearing
Column Water Level

Scour Protection

Foundation
 Classification of Pier

sTypes

NT
ENT
AD
LUMN
NENT
BENTBENT
BENT 1. Pile
COLUMN
COLUMN
COLUMNBENT
BENT
COLUMN
BENT
COLUMN Bent
PILE BENT
PILE
COLUMN
BENT
PILE
BENT BENT
BENTPILE
PILE
BENT
PILE BENT PILE
PILE
BENT
BENT PILEBENT
BENT
PILEPILE
BENT
BENT
PILE BENT SOLID
BENT
SOLID 2.
WALL
SOLID Solid
SOLID
SOLID
WALL
SOLID SOLID
WALL
WALLWALL
WALL
SOLIDWall
WALL
SOLID WALL
SOLID
SOLID
WALL
SOLID WALL SINGLE
WALL
WALL
SINGLE SINGLE
COLUMN
SINGLE
SINGLE
SINGLE
SINGLE COLU
SINGLE
COLUM
SINGLE
SINGLE
COLUMN SINGL
COLUM
COLUMN
SINGLE
COLUMN COLU
CO
 Classification of Pier
Table 2.1
Table Comparative
Table
2.1
Table 2.1
Table Table
Comparative
Comparative
2.1 of Pier
2.1 Comparative
Table
Table
Comparative Table ofTypes
of Table
of Pier
Pier of Types
Types
Types
Pier Pier Types

LL
WALL
LL 3. Single
Pier
SINGLE
SINGLE
Pier
Type Column
Type
Pier
Pier
COLUMN
SINGLE
SINGLE
SINGLE
COLUMN Type
Pier
COLUMN
COLUMN
SINGLE COLUMN
Type
Pier Type
Type
COLUMN HAMMER
HAMMER HEAD
HEAD
HAMMER
HAMMERHAMMER
HEAD4.
HEAD
HAMMER HEAD Multi-Column
HEAD COLUMN
COLUMN
COLUMNBENT
BENT
COLUMN
COLUMN
BENT
BENT
COLUMN BENTBENT PIL
PI
PI

Profile
Profile
Profile
ProfileProfile
Profile
Bearings and Joints

Ifthe superstructure is free to move at both ends, the whole

superstructure could fall off its bearings.
To avoid this, usually one end of a span is fixed to the abutment or
pier and the other end is free to move
 Expansion Joints

1. Steel plate / angles 2. Rubber

 End of topic

THANK YOU!