Bridge Design

Beam bridge
Truss bridge
Arch bridge
Suspension bridge

Mr. Klokman
Computer / Technology
King Philip Middle School
 Beam bridge

beam supported at each end by piers.

This is why beam bridges rarely span more than 250 feet.
Pros: Easy to build; inexpensive relative
to other bridge types; used widely
in urban and rural settings
Cons: Limited span; does not allow
large ships or heavy boat traffic to pass
underneath; design generally not
considered very interesting or eye-catching
 Beam bridge
Live Load Compression: the
tendency to push or
Dead Load squash a material

Tension: the
tendency for a
material to be
pulled apart

Beam Bridge: Forces

When something pushes down on the beam, the beam bends.
Its top edge is pushed together, and its bottom edge is pulled apart.
BRIDGE BRAG
It’s the loooooooonnnnnnngest bridge in the world, and it’s a
beam bridge!
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana is approximately
24 miles long, and its twin spans are supported by over 9,000
pilings.
 Truss bridge
The truss bridge...
consists of an assembly of triangles. Truss bridges are
commonly made from a series of straight, steel bars.

Rigid arms extend from both sides of two piers. Diagonal steel tubes, projecting from
the top and bottom of each pier, hold the arms in place. The arms that project toward
the middle are only supported on one side, like really strong diving boards. These
"diving boards," called cantilever arms, support a third, central span.
 Truss Bridge
Tension: the
Compression: the
tendency for a
tendency to push or
material to be
squash a material
pulled apart

Truss Bridge: Forces

Every bar in this cantilever bridge experiences either a pushing or pulling force.
The bars rarely bend.
This is why cantilever bridges can span farther than beam bridges.
Pros: Very strong; frequently used as a draw bridge
Cons: Difficult to construct; high maintenance; difficult to widen if
necessary; generally not considered attractive
Wooden truss bridges were used as early as the 1700s, but the first metal
one was completed in 1841. They are very strong and have been used for
railroad bridges mainly because of the heavy loads they can support. A truss,
a rigid support structure that is made up of interlocking triangles, holds up the
roadbed and is set between two piers. The triangle is used because it is the
only shape that is inherently rigid.
 Arch bridge
Live Load:
would be the
water
Dead Load:
would be the
stone

The arch bridge...

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.
 Arch bridge

Arch Bridge: 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.

Pros: Wide range of materials can be used; considered attractive;

very strong
Cons: Relatively expensive; typically designs are limited to certain
sites (for example, where the ground can support
the large forces at the base of the arch; where the span-to-depth
ratio of the arch is proportional; or where an arch is visually
appropriate)
How are arch bridges built?
Building an arch bridge isn't easy, since the structure is completely unstable until the
two spans meet in the middle. For years, engineers used a technique called centering,
in which a wooden form supported both spans until they locked together at the top.
A newer method supports the spans using cables anchored to the ground on either
side of the bridge. This is how the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia was built.
 Suspension bridge

The suspension bridge...

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.
 Suspension Bridge
Torsion:
Tension: the
twisting
tendency for a
material
material to be
pulled apart

Suspension Bridge: 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 transferthe load into
compression in the two towers. The two towers support most of the
bridge's weight.
Beam bridge Truss bridge
250 feet Longest Single Span: 350 feet (center span)

Arch Bridge Suspension Bridge

800 feet 2,000 to 7,000 feet
 Structures

Girders Braces
Columns
Beams