SEMICIRCULER ARCH BRIDGE

BY USING
INTERLOCKING BLOCKS

PRESENTED BY:
AMOL BOTRE (B E CIVIL)
TUSHAR TARAS (B E CIVIL)

GUIDED BY:
Prof. V.R. PHADKE (Civil dept.)

JSPM’S
RAJARSHI SHAHU COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
THATHAWADE PUNE

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 CONTENTS
1) ABSTRCT

2) INTRODUCTION

3) WHAT IS SEMICIRCULER ARCH BRIDGE BY USING

INTERLOCKING BLOCK?

4) TYPES OF JOINT.

5) ADVANTAGE OF SIMPLE MATERIALS USED FOR ARCH

BRIDGE.

6) LOADING BEHAVIOUR OF THE ARCH.

7) MANUFACTURING OF INTERLOCKING BLOCKS.

8) PROCEDURE OF CONSTRUCTION OF AN ARCH BRIDGE BY

USING INTERLOCKING BLOCKS.

9) ADVANTAGES OF AN ARCH & COMPARISION.

10) CONCLUSION.

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ABSTRACT

As per the new policy of Govt of India in current 5 years plan funds worth
13,000 cores have been allocated for establishing road links to various
villages. While constructing such links thousands of small span bridges
will have to be constructed. At present for constructing such bridges use of
pipe culverts is made.

The pipe culvert bridges are hydraulically inefficient and require regular
maintenance such as cleaning, dirt accumulated and debris dumped in river
bed. So providing arch bridge has many advantages as all the loads get
converted into compressive load on piers there by eliminate use of R.C.C
works.

However the construction of conventional arch bridge require more time and
effort is being made to provide interlocking type light weight concrete or
bricks of high strength or interlocking type concrete block of high strength .
Experiment conducted that by using precast blocks. The construction of arch
bridge can be speeded up. However full scale load testing of such arch has not
yet been carried out but it is hoped that sum such arch bridge work will be
economical

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INTRODUCTION:
Arch bridges are one of the oldest types of bridges and have been around for
thousands of years. Arch bridges have great natural strength.

The materials like stone , brick and concrete are very good in compression
but weak in tension .The main advantage of arch bridge is that the all forces
coming on a bridge get converted into compressive force which is suitable
for many materials like stones, bricks etc.

In future many roads are required to be constructed in rural region where

small span bridges are essential over nalas, streams etc. Indian Govt. will
invest around Rs.13000 cores approximately which is very large amount.
Generally these small bridge are made by using pipe culverts which not
having long life.

So, the new concept of “SEMICIRCULER ARCH BRIDGE BY USING

INTERLOCKING BLOCKS” which can be help to reducing in cost of
bridge construction.

● What is “SEMICIRCULER ARCH BRIDGE BY USING

INTERLOCKING BLOCKS

Ordinary semi circular arch (fig 1)

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As shown in above figure 1 this is the ordinary method of construction
semicircular arch by using stone or bricks. In which the voussoirs are
dressed in radial and jointed together by mortar .In arch bridge key stone is
the heart of arch bridge which transfers the load through voussoirs to the pier
of the bridge .For this type of construction formwork is required.

Semicircular arch bridge by using interlocking blocks (fig 2)

As shown in above figure 2. The new concept by making voussoir

interlocked means at each joint of voussoir we are make interlock joint
between them.

This technology help in reducing formwork required for ordinary arch

construction and increasing speed of construction of bridge. Hence we can
reduce cost of our nation.

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Types of joint:
There can be many types of joints for interlocking the voussoir.
The fig (a) shows few types

● Advantage of simple materials used for arch bridge :

Stone and other such materials are strong in compression and somewhat
weak in shear, but cannot resist much force in tension. As a result, masonry
arch bridges are designed to be constantly under compression, so far as is
possible. Each arch is constructed over a temporary falsework frame, known
as a centering. In the first compression arch bridges, a keystone in the
middle of the bridge bore the weight of the rest of the bridge.

The more weight that was put onto the bridge, the stronger its structure
became. Masonry arch bridges use a quantity of fill material (typically
compacted rubble) above the arch in order to increase this dead-weight on
the bridge and prevent tension from occurring in the arch ring as loads move
across the bridge. Other materials that were used to build this type of bridge
were brick and unreinforced concrete.

When masonry (cut stone) is used the angles of the faces are cut to
minimize shear forces. Where random masonry (uncut and unprepared
stones) is used they are mortared together and the mortar is allowed to set
before the falsework is removed.

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 But when this simple material used for making interlocking blocks it
should help in resist complete shear between the joint of voussoirs and no
need of more centring to set mortar between joint because we are interlocked
them

Loading behaviour of the arch :

Instead of pushing straight down, the load of an arch bridge is carried
outward along the curve of the arch to the supports at each end. The weight
is transferred to the supports at either end. These supports, called the
abutments, carry the load and keep the ends of the bridge from spreading
out.

a)

The load at the top of the key stone makes each stone on the arch of the
bridge press on the one next to it. This happens until the push is applied to
the end supports or abutments, which are embedded in the ground.

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 If the surface is accurately ground and adjacent voussoir are mathematically
rigid either they bear everywhere or else they make line contact only either
at extrados or intrados.

The resulting thrust line are quite distinct and there no intermediate
condition so that the thrust line must lie within the middle third at each joint

b)

The ground around the abutments is squeezed and pushes back on the
abutments.

c)

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The ground which
pushes back on the abutments creates a resistance which is passed from
stone to stone, until it is eventually pushing on the key stone which is
supporting the load

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 • Manufacturing of interlocking blocks :

The process of manufacturing interlocking blocks by using clay or concrete

the procedure is as follows
1) Decide the span of arch bridge suppose for 3 m span .Then prepare
formwork for an arch by using G I sheets of sizes as follows.

2) Take odd number of blocks

Say 15 blocks, then
Ø = 180/15
= 12 degree (Angle of radial cutting of block )
Then by using this, size of block becomes as,

(For 3 m
span arch bridge )

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3) Prepare a formwork by using G I sheets of given size of blocks

3) The formwork as shown in figure above is rest on the ground .Then

for preparing blocks prepare a mix of concrete or clay
4) Then prepared mix is filled in whole formwork after filing to prepare
the blocks make a strips of G I sheet are as shown in fig. below.

5) These strips are inserted with shuttering oil in formwork which is

filled by concrete or clay. At an angle of 12 degree from the center of
an arch.

6) After the final setting time of concrete remove the formwork the we
get radial shaped interlocked blocks

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● Procedure of construction of an arch bridge by using
interlocking blocks
1) Survey and hydraulics:
At the first stage the location or situation for the construction
bridge is decided by studying ‘toposheet’.With the help of toposheet the
required data is collected to know the catchment area and expected
discharge through that gorge. After deciding location and finishing
hydraulic calculation. The number of arches to be constructed is decided
for discharching the runoff safely.

Excavation for foundation for pier or abutments:

The depth of foundation is also decided by scouring action of water of that
stream.
3) Then construct a pier or abutment which is called as pedestal as per
required height.
4) After constructing pier/abutments to place the semicircular arch of
interlocking blocks over the piers the procedure are as follows.
5) Make an semicircular arch by arranging the blocks on the ground then
for lifting the arch make a hole in block and insert a 6 mm steel bar
6) To lift it by pulleys or crane prepare a formworks are as shown in
figure below

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●Advantages of semicircular arch bridge
1) Easy geometry
2) Simple sum.
3) Semi-skilled labourers are required.
4) Moderate supervision is required.
5) Semi-circular shape of an arch increases the waterway.
6) Time required for construction of an arch is less.

●Disadvantages of using pipe culvert

1) Regular maintenance is required.
2) Dirt and debris dumped in river chocking of pipes which obstruct the
flow.
3) Cost of construction is more than semicircular arch bridge

● Comparison between waterway of an arch and waterway

pipe culvert.
Water way of one arch provided
= water way of semicircular opening + water way between pedestal
= [1/2 ×p/4×3²] + [2 × 0.3]
=4.1343 m²

For RCC pipe of 900 mm ø

Area of one pipe = p/4× 0.9²
= 0.636 m²

Water way provided through one row of 900 mm dia. Pipe = 0.636 sgms

Comparing water of an one arch with culvert.

= Area of an arch/Area of one pipe
=4.1343/0.636
=6,50 nos say 7 nos

● Cost comparison between arch and pipe culvert

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 After comparing a simple estimation of the standard arch structure
pipe culvert structure worth out to be as follows based on D.S.R for Pune
Dist. For the year 2004-2005

Sr Description Cost
no.
1) Cost of arch structure with carriageway of Rs 41’000 /-
7.5m for an arch
2) Cost of arch structure with carriageway of Rs 31’000 /-
5.5m for an arch
3) Cost of pipe vented structure with 4rows of Rs 69,000 /-
900 mm dia. RCC pipes with carriageway of
7.5 m
4) Cost of pipe vented structure with 4rows of Rs 52,000 /-
900 mm dia. RCC pipes with carriageway of
5.5 m
From the above comparison. We see that the cost of an arch comes out to be
only 60% of cost of pipe vented structure.

A model of a semicircular arch bridge by using interlocking blocks

CONCLUSION

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The technique described earlier viz. Semicircular arch bridge by using
interlocking blocks are mainly investigated for rural developments .By
constructing these type of construction there may be remarkable saving to
Indian Govt. and these interlocking block arch bridges will be used through
out year. The facilitates like health, education, marketing can be achieved
easily by rural people by adopting this technology.

• With the help of this technique we can get hydraulically more

efficient structure than the pipe culvert structure.

• As per the cost comparison after comparing simple estimation cost of

an arch comes out to be only 60% of pipe vented structure.

• In this technique the time required for construction is less.

REFERENCE:

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• “Concrete block arch bridge work-shop” by Dable Sir

• A study of the voussoir arch by A.J.Sutton Pippard & Letitia Chitty

• www.google.com

• Gauge conversion project with special reference to bridges by

K.Ramkrishnan I.R.S.E

• Various aspect for assessment of strength of masonry arches by

I.R.S.E

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