10/1/2019 Planning for Bridge Construction with Sequence and Steps of Planning

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Planning for Bridge Construction including Seq

Steps of Planning

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Planning for bridge construction is required as it has huge impact on life of people. Social, sc
technological dimensions for bridge construction must be considered.

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The decision of providing a bridge across any barrier is to facilitate the community residing
the project. Some major bridges bring benefits to the whole country; for example, the bridge
across the river Ganga or the Brahmaputra in India. Another example is the Honshu-shikoku

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10/1/2019 Planning for Bridge Construction with Sequence and Steps of Planning

has bridges across many islands in Japan. This unique structure construction also benefits m
country, as in the case of the Oresund link, that is constructed across the Baltic ocean.

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Three Dimensions of Planning for Bridge Construction
There are three dimensions that are involved in the planning of any mega project like a brid
considered as an initial step towards the planning of structures, that would finally bring up w
would be advantageous to the community in all aspects. The three dimensions are:

Scientific Dimension

Social Dimension

Technological Dimension

Scientific Dimensions for Bridge Construction

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10/1/2019 Planning for Bridge Construction with Sequence and Steps of Planning

There exist certain laws for nature, based on which every structure constructed must perfor
explain these natural forms and the existence of these laws with the help of certain inter-rel
certain elements.

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In one or the other form, the scientists or the engineers make use of pre-existing technologie
the only difference is the method they used to undergo.

Various scientific developments that are made by the engineers based on these; like bringing
alternative materials by chemical analysis, physics – to observe and analyze the dynamic be
structure; Mathematics – used to analyze and determine the forces and the stresses. Hence e
are evolved with the help of the scientific dimension.

Social Dimension for Bridge Construction

Enhancement of quality of life of the people, are greatly facilitated by the bridge construction
improve the mobility of people as well as the material. This dimension helps to realize the pr
such construction and their related precautions.

Such a huge construction brings changes to the society and the people, but also bring advers
environment. It is not only required for the bridges to satisfy the need of mobility and the fu
also must satisfy the problems related to noise, pollution, during and after construction.

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10/1/2019 Planning for Bridge Construction with Sequence and Steps of Planning

As the structure is the for the welfare of the whole community, the people are also committe
for bringing their contribution to this welfare in the form of taxes, levies or in the forms of to
help in looking the construction as a cost benefited work and as a means of economic develo

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The above considerations come under the social dimension. There are also chances for the in
political dimension with the social dimension. This arises in the situation of choice of locatio
in prioritizing the needs for the welfare of the economy.

The social dimension has a direct close connection with the scientific and the technological d

Technological Dimensions for Bridge Construction

There have been many technological developments over decades in the field of new structur
construction and materials, as an alternative for rare ones and in bringing new machinery th
human workers.

This technology has helped in bringing and refining alternatives in the bridge construction. N
bricks, steel, cement etc., construction are carried out by glass fibers, carbon fibers etc.

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Going through such innovations in technologies, the first FRP material constructed bridge w
year 1982. It composed of five box girders with a clear span of 20.4m.

The development of carbon fiber reinforced polymer i.e. CFRP cables, that gain a strength of
modulus of elasticity of 165GPa, was also made. The Winterthur Bridge in Switzerland, make
cables. Two cables out of twenty-two are made of this material.

The steel is available with higher capabilities, like high strength varying from 60MPa to 100M
remarkable ductility and corrosion resistance. These had led to the new construction choices
supported structures, slender structures and longer spans.

The accurate behavior of structures is clearly analyzed with the help of new techniques of sc
computers for huge analysis and aerodynamic studies.

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With the development of new heavy vehicles with huge capacities, the engineers are forced t Get Noti cations
bridges with higher capacity. This will influence the strength and the dimensions of the bridg
maintenance related to the same.

All these bring up a higher impact on the environment, in the form of air pollution, higher d
resources. These massive structures make use of huge amount of concrete, which in turn ma
aggregates from nature.

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10/1/2019 Planning for Bridge Construction with Sequence and Steps of Planning

When it comes to the concern of a structural engineer, the scientific dimension comes to be t
criteria. But he must balance with the other two dimensions i.e. the social and the technologi

This concludes that he must evolve a structure that is acceptable socially at the same time ec
and efficient. This depends on how he chooses the technological dimension, which must be c
conceptual stage of the project.

Planning Sequence for Bridge Construction

The planning sequence for the construction of a new highway or a railway project is a major
planning. Based on the complexity of the barrier across which the bridge must be constructe
the project planning increases, because more investigation must be carried out. In general, th
are involved in the planning for the construction of a new project is mentioned below:

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1. Identifying the need for the bridge

2. Assessment of traffic possible and required in the area proposed to construct the bridge

3. Study the location

4. Study of all possible alternatives

5. Refining and short listing all possible alternatives

6. Identifying conceptual plans for the alternatives. This involves finding the materials, the ar
span and the form.

7. Preliminary design and the cost estimation

8. Evaluating the alternatives, its risk and the final choice of decision

9. Resource source identification by detailed surveying (https://theconstructor.org/surveying/

10. Implementation with the help of bidding documents. This is followed by carrying out by f
the construction details, and their commissioning.

Different Stages of Planning in Bridge Construction

The major steps that are involved in the planning for bridge construction are:

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10/1/2019 Planning for Bridge Construction with Sequence and Steps of Planning

1. Study on Need for Bridge

2. Traffic Assessment

3. Location study

4. Reconnaissance Study

a) Study of alternatives

b) Feasible alternative study

5. Preliminary Engineering

a) Developing plans

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b) Preliminary design and costing

c) Evaluation of alternatives, risk analysis, and final choice

6. Detailed Project Report

7. Implementation

A brief idea on each stage is explained in the following section.

1. Study on need for Bridge

The decision of having a new bridge in an area is taken as a part of development of the socie
the feasibility of linking the cities and towns, which gain more importance in the overall gro
Their need is studied based on the socio-economic viabilities.

2. Traffic Assessment for Bridge Construction

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An assessment of the traffic type and its quantum is necessary to decide the following factor

Number of lanes on the road or the railway tracks

The geometric design parameters

Benefits acquired by the society

The data collection for this must be done carefully so that a proper idea on how the traffic pa
strategies such as agricultural, industrial as well commercial developments are influenced. T
construction has a huge investment at the initial stages. Once completed, a small variation or
recommended.

So, it is advised to bring a design that considers the future capacity requirements and traffic
assessment study should be considered the following factors into consideration. This mainly

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the help of a traffic planner or an Economist.

The traffic composition, in terms of light and the heavy vehicles

The maximum and the minimum speed requirements

The annual growth rate and their variations

The design life of the bridge

3. Location Study for Bridge Construction

While having a location study and fixing the location of the bridge, it is very essential to cons
the location of cross drainage works if any. The cross-drainage work is said to have 15 to 20 %
project cost if it must be implemented. Hence before choosing the alignment for bridge const
necessary to determine all the possible CD works and its effect. The following factors are con
fixing the location of the bridge.

Location chosen over a stream with no bends or meanders. It will be straight in reach.

A stream with no branches or tributaries

The location being confined with properly defined banks

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10/1/2019 Planning for Bridge Construction with Sequence and Steps of Planning

If the bridge or the culvert is with the road approach, on either side having maximum ext

If the crossing is normal to the alignment of the road and angle of skew is necessary, limit

Other than the above-specified conditions, the major river crossings of the bridge constructio
the following conditions:

a) River regime

The river upstream must be straight. If there is bend in the downstream, it must be avoided.
reach must be free from whirls, excess current due to eddies. The channel in reach must is n
defined. The river regime should have inerodable banks that are firm. If there are no inerod
gorging, guide banks in dry locations also must be provided.

b) Approaches

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During floods, the approaches must be secure from flood attacks or any major spills. High ex
construction must be avoided. It is recommended to pass through built-up areas, or high hill
basin or religious structures.

The approaches have a reasonable proximity to the main road. It should not let construction
connecting link.

The ideal approach will avoid the construction under water that is highly costly and unecono
should help in a way to bring lesser maintenance to the whole system, hence increasing the l
bridges.

4. Reconnaissance Survey for Bridge Construction

This is a pre-feasibility study, which studies the entire reach of the river, that must be crosse
and suitable position for bridge location. The factors each site satisfies are taken as lists and
individually, from which the best consideration is chosen.

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10/1/2019 Planning for Bridge Construction with Sequence and Steps of Planning

The final number of feasible sites must be refined down to three or four, this can be done on
detail of each site and refining the most suitable ones.

During this stage, maps are used to locate theses feasible sites. The direct assessment of the s
understand the location features (local criteria), studying the existing and growth of traffic w
surveys, knowing information from the people residing, simple routes and short cuts in the a
and its spread are also studied.

A feasibility study on the economy of cost, the duration of construction, the sources of resour
assessed. Now the whole information is gathered and a comparison is made. Based on the di
refinement, the best feasible site for implementation is chosen.

5. Preliminary Engineering for Bridge Construction

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This stage of planning can be called as a techno-economic feasibility study. Here, the technic
the bridge construction is studied in a detailed manner, to bring all possible alternatives to p
construction.

Mainly it is found that the total cost of the project is plus or minus 15% of the cost that is esti
of planning. To process the technical study, minimum level of field study and measurements
study, and related parameters must be done.

This study carried out at the bridge construction site should bring the following tabula
details:

1. The total length of the bridge

2. The length of approaches

3. If detours are present, their respective savings

4. The anticipated volume of traffic

5. The distance to the nearby city or town from the site

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6. Expected bridge project period

7. The nature of stream flowing into the site

8. The nature and behavior of soil strata for foundation

9. The construction problems existing with bridges or approaches

10. Maintenance for the bridges or approaches if any

11. The internal rate of return or the cost benefit ratio

12. The impact on the environment

For each element that is noted, must be assigned with a certain amount of scoring and weigh
finally help in choosing the best site.

7. Detailed Project Report of Bridge Construction Plannin

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This stage is the final stage of planning in the bridge construction, before the commencemen
construction work. Full investigation from the roots is taken and documented. The investigat
are:

Ground survey

Soil exploration- foundation details

Hydrological data

Model studies and analysis

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Accelerated Bridge Construction -Features, Advantages and Sequence of Construction

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About Neenu Arjun

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(https://theconstructor.org/author/nsneenusk

Neenu is a Civil and Structural Engineer and has experience in Design of Concrete and Steel Str
Author, Editor and Partner at theconstructor.org.

25 Male
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