Lecture # 02

The Elements of a Bridge

The stone clapper Darth River (Dartmoor) bridge, built in 111 BC by Celtic tribes of Scotland is shown
above. It has the same fundamental elements of a modern highway bridge: a super-structure and a sub-
structure. The stones are quality grade granite.
Julius Caesar’s temporary bridge
across the Rhine in 56 BC, was
built in 3 days, and then
dismantled in one day after a
successful campaign in
Germany.
(“The Conquest of Gaul”, by J.
Caesar, 50 BC).

Note the basic elements still

present in today’s bridges.
The Roman aqueduct/bridge Pont du Gard in France is over 19 centuries old.
Elements of the Superstructure.
Destroyed bridge over the Tigris, showing the abutment seat and remaining girder.
A modern slab-on-stringer highway bridge, with steel stringers and lateral bracing
Preparing the formwork to cast the reinforced
concrete slab upon the steel stringers. Note the
welded shear studs on the upper flange of the
steel stringer, to provide shear transfer between
these two elements.
Galvanizing an 80’ long beam, 4’ deep, weighing 26 kips at Gregory in Canton, Ohio.
Welded curved steel stringers.
Jacking up AASHTO precast-concrete girders to replace the bearing pads and seating.
Elements of the Sub-structure.
 References for Highway Bridge Design.
1. AASHTO “LRFD Bridge Design Specifications”, Second Edition, 1998;
2. AISC “Highway Structures Design Handbook”, 1986;
3. Bakht B., Jaeger L.G., “Bridge Analysis Simplified”, McGraw-Hill, 1985;
4. Barker R.M., Puckett J.A., “Design of Highway Bridges based on AASHTO Bridge Design
Specifications”, John Wiley & Sons, 1994;
5. Billington D.P., “The Tower and the Bridge”, Princeton University Press, 1983;
6. Chen W.F., Duan L., “Bridge Engineering”, CRC Press, New York, 2000;
7. Degenkolb O.H., “Concrete Box Girder Bridges”, ACI M-10, 1977;
8. Hambly E.C., “Bridge Deck Behaviour”, 2nd Edition, E&FN Spon, 1991;
9. Heins C.P., Lawrie R.A., “Design of Modern Concrete Highway Bridges”, John Wiley, 1984;
10. IECA, “Puentes de Hormigón”, No. 748, Barcelona, Agosto 1995;
11. Jaeger L.G., Bakht B., “Bridge Analysis by Microcomputer”, McGraw-Hill, 1989;
12. Naaman A., Breen J., “External Prestressing in Bridges”, ACI Sp-120, 1990;
13. Nakai H., Cahi H.Y., “Analysis and Design of Curved Steel Bridges”, McGraw-Hill, 1988;
14. Priestley M.J.N., Seible F., Calvi G.M., “seismic Design and Retrofit of bridges”, Wiley, 1996;
15. Tonias D.E., “Bridge Engineering”, McGraw-Hill, 1995;
16. Troitsky M.S., “Pre-Stressed Steel Bridges, Theory and Design”, Van Nostrand, 1990;
17. Watson S.C., Hurd M.K., “Esthetics in Concrete Bridge Design”, ACI MP-1, 1990;
18. Xanthakos P.P., “Theory and Design of Bridges”, John Wiley & Sons, 1994;
19. Xanthakos P.P., “Bridge Sub-Structure and Foundation Design”, Prentice-Hall, 1995.
 List of Bridge Websites
January 2005

1. www.continentalbridge.com

2. www.steadfastbridge.com

3. www.engineeringtips.com