Table of contents

What is a bridge.?
Different types of bridges.
Descriptions.
History Working.
Culverts
Type of culverts
Depiction
References.

Bridge
Bridge is a structure built to span a valley,
road, river, body of water, or any other
physical obstacle.
Designs of bridges will vary depending on
the function of the bridge and the nature of
the area where the bridge is to be
constructed.

History of Bridge
Development

Clapper
Bridge

100 B.C.
Romans
2,104 years
ago

700 A.D.
Asia
1,304 years
ago

Tree trunk
Stone
Roman Arch
Bridge

Arch design
evenly distributes
stresses
Natural
concrete
made from mud
and straw

Great Stone Bridge in

China

Low bridge
Shallow arch
Allows boats
and water to
pass
through

1900

History of Bridge
Development

1920
Truss Bridges
Mechanics of
Design
Wood

2000
Suspension Bridges
Use of steel in
suspending
cables
Prestressed
Concrete
Steel

Basic
Concepts
Span - the distance between two
bridge supports, whether they are
columns, towers or the wall of a
canyon.
Force Compression
Tension Compressio
n

Tensio
n

Concrete has good compressive strength, but

extremely weak tensile strength. What about steel
cables?

Basic
Concepts
Beam - a rigid, usually horizontal, structural
element
Bea
m

Pier

Pier - a vertical supporting structure, such as a

pillar
Cantilever - a projecting structure supported only at
one end, like a shelf bracket or a diving board
Load - weight on a structure

Types of Bridges
There are six main types of bridges:
1.
beam bridges
2.
cantilever bridges
3.
arch bridges
4.
suspension bridges
5.
cable-stayed bridges and
6.
truss bridges

beam bridges
Consists of a horizontal beam supported at
each end by piers. The weight of the beam
pushes straight down on the piers. The farther
apart its piers, the weaker the beam becomes.
This is why beam bridges rarely span more
than 250 feet.

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.

Span range

Short

Material

Timber,iron,steel,reinforced
concrete,prestressed concrete

Movable

No

cantilever bridges

A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using

cantilevers: structures that project
horizontally into space, supported on only
one end.

arch bridges

The arch 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 Bridges

Types of
Bridges

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.

Suspension Bridges

Types of
Bridges

This kind of bridges 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 Bridges

Types of
Bridges

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 transfer the load into
compression in the two towers. The two towers support
most of the bridge's weight.

cable-stayed bridges
The cable stayed bridge is newer than the
other types of bridge. Large upright steel
supports are used to transmit the load into
the ground.

Truss Bridge

All beams in a truss bridge are straight. Trusses are

comprised of many small beams that together can
support a large amount of weight and span great
distances.

Floating Bridge

Types of
Bridges

Pontoon bridges are supported by floating

pontoons with sufficient buoyancy to support
the bridge and dynamic loads.
While pontoon bridges are usually temporary
structures, some are used for long periods of
time.
Permanent floating bridges are useful for
traversing features lacking strong bedrock for
traditional piers.
Such bridges can require a section that is
elevated, or can be raised or removed, to
allow ships to pass.