Bridge Design

Saige Garnand-Gomez
Period 5

Four Types of Bridges

Beam Bridges: bridge where deck is
supported by an abutment or pier at
each end.

Truss Bridge: bridge where the loadbearing area is connected to a

structure of elements forming
triangular parts.

Arch Bridge: bridge where the

abutments at each end shaped like
a curved arch.

Suspension Bridge: bridge where

the deck is hung by suspension
cables supported by vertical
beams.

Beam Bridge
- Beam bridges also known as girder bridges are one of the oldest
and easiest built bridges in human history. Bridges have been
made since the beginning of time, beam bridges were made to be
extremely easy and fast to build. A beam bridge is a bridge where
the deck is supported be abutment or pier at each end.

Arch Bridge
-Arch bridges, made famous by the Romans in the 8th century BCE,
are possibly some of the oldest bridges ever. The arch bridge was
used in designing the aqueducts to carry water from place to
place. An arch bridge is a bridge where the abutments at each
end shaped like a curved arch.

Suspension Bridge
-Suspension bridges were built in the early 19th century with the
Golden Gate Bridge being one of its biggest successes. They are
often referred to as a modern bridge. Some of the earliest version
of suspension bridges were built by Thangtong, Gyalpo (a bridge
builder) in the 15th century. A suspension bridge is a bridge where
the deck is hung by suspension cables supported by vertical
beams.

Truss Bridge
-Truss bridges are the most complex shaped of all the bridges, with inner
designs. Before the industrial revolution most bridges were made of stone,
when wood and iron can resist tension and compression better. Wooden
bridges were often time truss bridges, very rigid but transferred the load
from a single point with a much larger area. Truss bridges are bridges
where the load-bearing area is connected to a structure of elements
forming single parts.

Forces
-A bridge must be able to withstand
squeezing. Squeezing can also be classified
as compression. Compression is a pushing
force applied at opposite ends of an object.

-A bridge must be able to withstand

stretching. Stretching can also be classified
as tension. Tension is a pulling force applied
to opposite ends of an object.

Forces
-A bridge must be able to withstand
twisting. Twisting is also known at
torsion. Torsion is a twisting force.

-A bridge must be able to withstand

sliding. Sliding is moving along a
surface while maintaining continuous
contact with it.

Forces
-A bridge must also be able to
withstand bending. Bending is also
known as flexure. Flexure is a bend to
an external load applied
perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis
of the element.

Loads
-A bridge must be
able to withstand
a dead load, or
the weight of the
structure itself.

-A bridge must be
able to withstand a
dynamic load, or
forces that act, move,
or change.

-A bridge must be
able to withstand a
live load, or a moving
weight added to the
dead load.

Loads
-A bridge must be
able to withstand a
wind load, or the load
on a structure due to
the action of the
wind.

-A bridge must be able

to withstand a thermal
load, or the load on a
structure based on the
temperature.

Loads
-A bridge must be able to
withstand earthquake load, or
earthquake created load on
the structure.

-A bridge must be able to

withstand a settlement load,
or the soil beneath the
structure.

Shapes
-Another commonly used shape
in bridge design is an arch. This
is used about half the time in
building load bearing
structures because it pushes
all the force outward along the
curve to the ground.

Shapes
-The last shape which is used the
other half of the time in bridge
design is the triangle. The weight
causes the two sides to squeeze
together and the bottom side to pull
apart.

Shapes
-One commonly used shape in bridge
design is the rectangle. This is the least
used geometrical shape. The rectangular
design isnt good because it pushes all the
weight down in area.

Golden Gate Bridge

Location- San Francisco And Sausalito, California, USA
Length- 8,981 feet
Who designed it- Joseph B. Strauss
What materials- concrete, steel, cables, and wire.
When was it built- 1937
How long did it take- 4 years

Brooklyn Bridge
Location- Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, USA
Length- 3,460 feet
Who designed it- John and Washington A. Roebling
What materials- Steel and iron
When was it built- 1883
How long did it take- 13 years

Tower Bridge
Location- London England
Length- 880 feet
Who designed it- Sir Horace Jones and Sir John Wolfe-Barry
What materials- Steel and masonry
When was it built- 1849
How long did it take- 8 years