Bridge Types: An Explanatory Guide with Different Types

 Developing bridges that are unique and safe for people begins with an understanding of bridges as a construction worker and civil engineer. For a bridge to carry a lot of vehicles year after year & decade after decade, you must calculate its daily vehicle load.

Arch Bridges

A classic bridge type, arch bridges are the oldest bridges after girder bridges in terms of architecture. Stone is well suited to arches as opposed to simple girder bridges. A typical arch does not require piers in the center, making it an attractive choice for crossing valleys and rivers. There are many types of bridges, but arch bridges can be one of the most beautiful.

Arches are built with curved structures that are highly resistant to bending. As opposed to girder and truss bridges, arch bridges are fixed horizontally on both ends, so they can only be used on solid ground. The arch bearings experience horizontal forces when a load is placed on the bridge. There are some cases in which the roadway passes over or through an arch, just as the truss does.

Rigid Frame Bridges

The girder and the piers of a standard girder bridge are separate structures. A rigid frame bridge, on the other hand, is an all-solid construction consisting of piers and girders.

Especially suited to rivers and valleys, batter post rigid frame bridges can be built using piers tilted at an angle to straddle the crossings more effectively without having to construct foundations in the river or piers in deep valleys.

I-Shaped

Bridge beams in rigid frames typically have I-shaped or box-shaped cross sections. Bridges with rigid frames are more difficult to design compared to bridges with girders. Precision and attention to detail are required when fabricating the junction between the pier and the girder.

V-Shaped

In spite of the fact that there are many possible frame shapes, pi-shaped frames, batter post frames, and V-shaped frames are almost exclusively used these days.

Foundations can be effectively utilized with V-shaped frames. As each V-shaped pier supports two girders, fewer foundations are required and a less cluttered profile is achieved.

As piers and supports for inner city highways, pi-shaped rigid frame structures are commonly used. Under these types of bridges, the frame supports the raised highway while also allowing traffic to run directly underneath.

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