Civil Structures

Comparison of Two
7m spanned bridges
By Ben Brown
November 2011
Abstract
This report is an analysis of two solutions to a pedestrian footbridge needed to span 7
metres that is located in a large suburban town. The two solutions are suitable for the
structure.
ntroduction
This report will investigate two, 7 metre spanning pedestrian footbridges needed to cross
over a main road in a large suburban town. The dimensions for the bridge are seven metre
span, two metre width. The bridge cannot have any piers or supports coming down from
the deck as the road cannot be modified or obstructed.
The pedestrian bridge must support a maximum of 20 adults of approximant weight of 80
kilograms.
The ease of construction needs to be taken on board during this proect as the bridge
needs to be built in minimal time and needs to have minimal construction on site! this is
due to the constant use of the main road that will be underneath so traffic flow needs to
be taken into account. This criteria is going to be one of moderate priority.
The road clearance height needs to a taken into account in the development of this bridge!
as the road has a heavy flow of traffic, consisting of standard height cars but also used
daily and fre"uently by a variety of si#es of trucks. The bridge is to have a clearance of $
metres as this will ensure that the standard si#e truck and buses can pass under the bridge
safely. %ue to this being a safety concern this will be mandatory criteria in selection of
the bridge
The bridge will be viewed by large numbers of people daily and is also in an up built
modern area for this reason the bridge is re"uired to have a good aesthetic appearance yet
still functional in its design. This not being a danger or safety ha#ard it is not a maor
priority to the proect but will still be a factor in the result of the better solution.
Analysis
There are many designs that would be suitable for this proect that meet the criteria of
road clearance, ease of construction and of aesthetic appearance. &n this report the best
solution will be based on the criteria and the advantages and disadvantages of the
materials.
Design 1
The first design is a simple box girder bridge that is supported by two piers at either end.
This structure has post'tension reinforced concrete as the deck. (tairs are either end of the
bridge and handrails along the stairs and across the top, to increase safety and prevent
inury of pedestrians.
!ec"anical calculations
!aterials
Component !aterial #roperties Advantages $isadvantages
)ier *einforced
concrete
%urable
+orkability
,ardness
-reat tensile
strength
-ood
compressive strength
.ble to
segment
The compressive strength of
the pier is a great advantage for this
structure as it supports it the weight of
the deck and doesn/t obtain faults and
cracks as easy.
The durability of the material
is an advantage due to the fact that it
will have a longer life span and not
need to be repaired constantly.
The segmentation and
workability allow it to be pre fabricated
if needed and then constructed together
on site
The weight of the
structure can be very heavy so
the foundation needs to be able
to take the weight of the
structure.
%eck )ost'
tensioned
*einforced
concrete
%urable
+orkability
,ardness
-reat tensile
strength
-ood
compressive strength
.ble to
segment
The beam is supported and is
less prone to cracks and faults due to
the great tensile strength.
The durability of the material
is an advantage due to the fact that it
will have a longer life span and not
need to be repaired constantly.
The segmentation and
workability allow it to be pre fabricated
if needed and then constructed together
on site
The weight of the deck
can become very heavy and
cause the bridge to sag a bit if it
exceeds the tensile strength.
,and *ails (tainless
(teel
0orrosion
resistant
-ood hardness
-ood tensile
strength
The hand rails are resistant to air and
water so they will not rust or wear
away.
The good tensile strength will stop
them from breaking if the bridge was to
expand or contract.
+hen drilling the holes
for the poles to go into the post'
tensioned reinforced concrete
deck, the exact location of the
wires need to be know to prevent
drilling through a tensioned wire
which is a big safety ha#ard
Stairs *einforced
concrete
%urable
+orkability
,ardness
-reat tensile
strength
-ood
compressive strength
.ble to
segment
The ability to segment the
stairs is a big advantage as this can be
prefabricated and brought to site for
assembly.
The durability allows for a
prolonged life of the stairs with little to
no maintenance needed.
(tairs could be to heavy
and drag down on the pier
causing the structure to twist or
wind.
The weight of them
maybe to great that they wont
hold up and collapse when added
weight is applied.
Design 2
This second pedestrian bridge is a pre'fabricated steel +arren truss bridge that is
supported by two piers at either end. This structure has post'tension reinforced concrete
as the deck and uses steel to build the members of the trusses. (tairs are either end of the
bridge.
!ec"anical Calculations
!aterials
Component !aterial #roperties Advantages $isadvantages
)ier *einforced
concrete
%urable
+orkability
,ardness
-reat tensile
strength
-ood
compressive strength
.ble to
segment
The compressive strength of
the pier is a great advantage for this
structure as it supports it the weight of
the deck and doesn/t obtain faults and
cracks as easy.
The durability of the material
is an advantage due to the fact that it
will have a longer life span and not
need to be repaired constantly.
The segmentation and
workability allow it to be pre fabricated
if needed and then constructed together
on site
The weight of the pier
can be very heavy so the
foundation needs to be able to
take the weight of the structure.
%eck *einforced
concrete
%urable
+orkability
,ardness
-reat tensile
strength
-ood
compressive strength
.ble to
segment
The beam is supported and is
less prone to cracks and faults due to
the great tensile strength.
The durability of the material
is an advantage due to the fact that it
will have a longer life span and not
need to be repaired constantly.
The segmentation and
workability allow it to be pre fabricated
if needed and then constructed together
on site
The deck can be prone
to weathering which we erode
the surface and cause faults.
The Trusses when
attached to the deck have
potential of striking a tensioned
wire in the deck which is a
safety ha#ard.
Trusses (teel -reat Tensile
(trength
%uctile
-ood
weldability
1ight weight
-ood hardness
%urable
0an hold tensile loads very well.
The ductility of the material allows for
a warning from when it reaches its
yield point till it reaches its breaking
point.
The ease of construction is apparent
due to the weldability and the fact that
it can be pre'fabricated
-ood strength to weight ratio as well as
a good strength to cost ratio
The si#e of the steel
will vary with weight load that is
needed to be carried.
The steel would need to
be maintained and constantly
monitored for effects of
weathering.
Stairs *einforced
concrete
%urable
+orkability
,ardness
-reat tensile
strength
-ood
compressive strength
.ble to
segment
The ability to segment the
stairs is a big advantage as this can be
prefabricated and brought to site for
assembly.
The durability allows for a
prolonged life of the stairs with little to
no maintenance needed.
(tairs could be to heavy
and drag down on the pier
causing the structure to twist or
wind.
The weight of them
maybe to great that they wont
hold up and collapse when added
weight is applied.
Criteria comparison of both solutions
Criteria $esign 1 Bo% &irder
Bridge
$esign 2 'arren Truss
bridge
T"e road clearance "eig"t
(clearance of ) metres*
This design meets this
criteria as it has clearance
height of $ metres and is
still functional in its
application.
This 2ridge also meets the
criteria of the road
clearance due to its height
of $ metres and still
remaining functional.
+ase of construction (built
in minimal time, minimal
construction on site-
This structure can be pre'
fabricated off site and
assembled at the
construction site. The time
needed to put this structure
together wouldn/t be a long
process only the
development of the
components would be.
This structure too can be
pre'fabricated, resulting in
shorter construction time.
.nd with minimal rubbish
and waste products left
behind. & would be shorter
process to construction this
design when compared to
the first design
good aest"etic appearance
(yet still functional in its
design*
This design is very plan and
simple, it doesn/t have any
instant appeal. The design is
functional but doesn/t have
good aesthetic appearance.
The appearance of this
bridge is very aesthetically
pleasing. The trusses on the
bridge really bring a salient
feature to the structure and
help complement when it
will be situated. 3ot only is
the design functional but it
has added support with the
trusses.
.esults summary
The prior information illustrates that the steel +arren truss bridge would be a suitable
solution to the problem. This is because of the materials, light weight and high strength
meaning it has a high strength to weight ratio is very suitable, as well as being a cheaper
option when compared to the reinforced concrete structure. The reinforced concrete
design is also suitable in the role of the pedestrian bridge, as it has a clearance height of
$metres and reaches across the 7metre span. The strength of the concrete is a factor in
making it a suitable solution, the tensile strength of the bridge too is a pro.
Conclusions and recommendations
The recommended solution for the pedestrian footbridge is the pre'fabricated steel warren
truss bridge. The reasons behind this choice are4
(trength to weight ratio will easily support the load on the bridge
+ill span the 7 metre gap and has a clearance height of $ metres
,as the aesthetic appearance that the concrete structure lacks
0an be prefabricated and due to its light weight can be easily placed into position
without extensive lifting devices
0heaper economical solution
The recommended material used for the trusses would be mild carbon steel. The grain
structure is ferrite and pearlite with 0.5$ 6 0.2$7 carbon. This is a suitable material due
to the properties of the of the steel. This material possesses properties such as, flexibility
and formability, these are effective as they are useful for a truss that is under load, also
that is can be welded together without any negative effects causing brittleness. &n order to
protect the bridge from corrosion a #inc layer would be plated on the steel.
Bibliograp"y
http488units.civil.uwa.edu.au8teaching80&91:555;f<28==>2
http488www.answers.com8topic8steel
http488en.wikipedia.org8wiki8Truss?bridge@+arren?truss
Angineering studies, ,(0 course, 0ivil structures )art $ BworkbookC
http488en.wikipedia.org8wiki8Dootbridge
The creation of 2ridges, by %avid 2ennett
Appendices