A bridge is a structure which carries uninterrupted flow of

traffic across any obstacle like, river or any water body, deep
gorges or valleys etc.

Components of a bridge
The main parts of a bridge structure are,
Decking, consisting of deck slab, girders, trusses, handrails,
parapets, guard stones etc., Bearings for the decking,
Abutments, wing walls and piers,
Components of a bridge
Foundations for the abutments and the piers,
River training works, like revetment for slopes for
embankment at abutments and
Approaches to the bridge to connect the bridge proper
to the roads on either side.
The components above the level of bearings are
grouped as superstructure, while the parts below the
bearing level and above the foundation are classed as
substructure. The portion below the bed level of the
river is called the foundation.
 Classification
According to function
aqueduct, pedestrian, highway, railway, road cum railway
bridge
According to the material of construction of superstructure
timber, masonry, steel, reinforced concrete, pre stressed
concrete, composite bridge
According to the form or type of superstructure

slab, girder, truss, arch, cable stayed or suspension bridge

According to the inter-span relations
simple, continuous or cantilever bridge
 According to the method of clearance for navigation
high-level, movable-bascule, movable swing or vertical lift
type of bridge
According to the length of the bridge

culvert (less than 6 m), minor bridge (6 m to 60 m), major

bridge (above 60 m), or long span bridge when the main
span of the major bridge is above 120 m.
 According to the degree of redundancy
determinate or indeterminate bridge
According to the anticipated type of service and duration of
use
permanent, temporary, military bridge
According to the alignment of the super structure with the
formation of the river or gorge
straight bridge or skew bridge
Selection of bridge site
For selection of a suitable site for a bridge, the
investigating engineer should make a reconnaissance
survey for about one km on the upstream side and one km
on the down stream side of the proposed bridge site and
should journey along the road for about one km on either
side of the road from the bridge site in order to form the
best suited and economical alignment of the road with the
suitable bridge site by considering the topographical
features and soil conditions
 To the extent possible, it is desirable to align the bridge at
right angles to the river , i.e. to provide a square crossing,
which facilitates minimum span length, deck area and pier
lengths, with accompanying economies. Further, a square
crossing involves simpler designs and detailing.
Sometimes, a skew crossing which is inclined to the center
line of the river at an angle different from a right angle has to
be provided in order to avoid costly land acquisition or sharp
curves on the approaches. A skew bridge usually poses
more difficulties in design, construction and maintenance
 Following are the factors to be carefully considered while
selecting the ideal site for a proposed bridge.
Connection with roads
Firm embankments
Foundations
Material and labor
Square crossing
Straight stretch of river
Velocity of flow of water
Width of the river
Economic considerations to
be made for bridge design
Structural types, span lengths, and materials shall be
selected with due consideration of projected cost. The
cost of future expenditures during the projected service
life of the bridge should be considered. Regional factors,
such as availability of material, fabrication, location,
shipping, and erection constraints, shall be considered.
General design
requirements
Free (clear) opening (from ERA
:is the face-to-face
distance between supported components.
design manual)
It shall be measured perpendicular to the supports.
If the supports are not parallel, the free opening is
the least distance between them
 Total (overall) bridge length: is the distance
between the rear ends of the wing walls or abutments.
It shall be measured parallel to the alignment between the
rear ends of the wing walls or abutments.
Span length
For simple spans: the distance center to center of supports
but need not exceed clear span plus thickness of slab.
 For members that are not built integrally with their supports:
the clear span plus the depth of the member but need not
exceed the distance between centers of supports.
Span length should give the placing of the piers regardless
of type or dimensions selected at a later stage.
It is normally measured at the alignment and given as
stations.
Theoretical span length
is the distance between the center of bearings. At the
abutments or at special wide piers it will be better to give
the dimension from face to face of the pier or abutment
front wall.
MINIMUM DIMENSIONS(As
specified in ERA manual)
 WIDTH OF BRIDGE DECK: The width is to be
measured between the inside of the railings or the curbs

Total width of bridge is defined as the distance

between the inside of the outer railings including
walkways, island/refuge and similar. If the width will vary
along the bridge all dimensions should be given.
PEDESTRIAN
LANE
Segregated pedestrian WIDTHS
lane (footway) protected
by a barrier (railing) with end treatment having
protection for both pedestrians and vehicles
shall not be less than 1.5 m wide
the height of the railings along the footways
shall be 1.5m by means of a top rail made of
steel pipes.
 The waterway below the superstructure must
FREE BOARD HEIGHT
be designed to pass the design flood and the
floating debris carried on it. This should apply
even after several years of sedimentation under
or downstream of the bridge
 The clear height of roads shall normally be 5.1
meters for underpasses. Light superstructures
(i.e. timber, steel trusses, steel girders, etc)
above roadways shall have a clearance height
of at least 5.3 m.
CROSS FALL
For adequate dewatering while minimizing the
use of materials for the bridge deck, a cross fall
of 2% (1 to 50), as well as longitudinal
slope/grade of 1% (1 to 100), should be
provided
DEFLECTION
In the absence of other criteria, the following
deflection limits shall be considered for
concrete, and/or steel construction:
DESIGN
WORKING
Concrete, stone LIFE
and steel bridges shall be
designed for 100 years working life. Concrete
and Steel culverts with an opening or
diameter less than 2.0 m and all timber
bridges shall be designed for 50 years
working life.