CLASSIFICATION AND

CRITERIA FOR BRIDGES

CEBRDG430-E41
 Classification of bridges:
 According to form or type of super structures.
 According to material of construction of superstructures.
 According to inter-span relationship
 According to the length of the bridge
 According to function
 Form of bridges:
 Slab bridge
 Beam bridge
 Truss bridge
 Arch bridge
 Cable stayed or suspended bridge
 Slab Bridge
Slab bridges are monolithic, flat concrete beams (slabs) with twisted or roughened reinforcing steel
rods concentrated in the lower portion and at either end of the slab, where tensile forces and sheer
are the greatest. The amount of steel and depth of the slab are based on its length and live-load
capacity.
 beam bridge
The main structural element of a beam bridge is a horizontal beam that is supported at each end.
They can be simply supported when the beams only connect across a single span, or continuous
when the beams are connected across two or more spans.
 Truss bridge
Truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss - a structure of
connected elements forming triangular units. They are one of the oldest types of modern bridges.
 Arch bridge
Arch bridges are one amongst the oldest sorts of bridges and have nice natural strength. They were
originally designed of stone or brick however currently are designed of ferroconcrete or steel.
- Tied arch bridges (or bowstring arches) also have an arch-shaped superstructure but their arch is
above the level of the bridge and it holds it from above.
 Cable stayed or suspended bridge
Suspension bridges hold weight of the bridge with cables. In ancient times these bridges were
made from ropes or vines. Today we use steel. Sub-types include the simple suspension bridge, the
stressed ribbon bridge, the under spanned suspension bridge, the suspended-deck suspension
bridge, and the self-anchored suspension bridge.
A suspension bridge carries vertical loads through curved cables in tension. These loads are
transferred both to the towers, which carry them by vertical compression to the ground, and to the
anchorages, which must resist the inward and sometimes vertical pull of the cables.
Cable-stayed bridges are similar to suspension bridges and also use cables but their form is
different, they have fewer cables and towers that hold cables are much higher.
 Material based
 Timber bridge
 Concrete bridge (Reinforced Cement Concrete)
 Stone bridge
 Steel bridge
 Composite bridge
 Timber Bridge - or wooden bridge is a bridge that uses timber or wood as its principal structural
material. One of the first forms of bridge, those of timber have been used since ancient times.
 Concrete Bridge – bridges that are typically made out of concrete usually reinforced. Most
commonly used material in building bridges.
 Stone Bridge - formed by large flat slabs of granite or schist supported on stone or resting on
the banks of streams.
 Steel Bridge - is a bridge in which the main material is steel. Steel bridge members are easy to
fabricate and are widely used in bridge construction due to the high tensile strength of steel
materials. Steel has tensile and compressive strength, and the ability to bend without cracking or
breaking. Moreover, steel bridges do not undergo dry shrinkage or creep as loads are applied
over time.
 Composite Bridge - means that the steel structure of a bridge is fixed to the concrete structure of
the deck so that the steel and concrete act together, so reducing deflections and increasing
strength. This is done using 'shear connectors' fixed to the steel beams and then embedded in the
concrete. Shear connectors can be welded on, perhaps using a 'stud welder', or better still on
export work, by fixing nuts and bolts.
 Inter-span relationship
 Simply supported Bridge - is the most basic type of bridge and the easiest for an engineer to
analyze and design. It forms a stand-alone, single span, with its beams or trusses commonly
supported with one fixed end and one movable end. They are single span structures with the
beam ends bearing on abutments.
 Cantilever Bridge - is built using cantilevers, structural elements that are supported on only one
end and that, from there, project horizontally into space. They are usually made from a pair of
continuous spans that extend from opposite sides. Cantilever bridge is constructed similarly to
beam bridges but forces work differently. A simple cantilever span is formed by two cantilever
arms extending from opposite sides of an obstacle to be crossed, meeting at the center.
 Continuous Bridge - A fixed bridge supported at three or more points and capable of resisting
bending and shearing forces at all sections throughout its length. Continuous span bridges cross
from one side to the other with one structural beam truss, or arch.
 According to length of bridge
 Culvert Bridges - A small bridge having total length of 6 m or less between the faces of
abutments.
 Minor Bridges - is a bridge having a total length of from 6 m to 60 m
 Major Bridges - is a bridge having a total length of above 60 m
 Long span Bridges – more than 120 m
 According to function
 Aqueduct bridge - are bridges constructed to convey watercourses across gaps such as valleys
or ravines. The term aqueduct may also be used to refer to the entire watercourse, as well as the
bridge. Large navigable aqueducts are used as transport links for boats or ships. Aqueducts must
span a crossing at the same level as the watercourses on each end.
 Viaduct bridge - A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or
columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of
roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide valley, road, river, or other low-
lying terrain features and obstacles.
 Pedestrian Bridge - also known as a footbridge, provides a safe mode of passage for cyclists and
walkers, and often enriches the area. A successful design must be a safe mode of transit for
pedestrians that doesn't interfere with other traffic on roads or waterways. They are built over
roads that require people to take longer, often inaccessible routes up and over many lanes of car
traffic, without impeding the speed or movement of vehicular traffic.
 Highway bridge - is a structure that carries a highway over an obstruction. Structures remain
functional as long as their load-carrying capacity exceeds the demands required of them. For a
highway bridge, the volume and characteristics of the traffic being carried on the highway
determines the demands on the structure at any particular bridge site.
 Railway bridge - a bridge built to carry a railway over a road, river, etc.
 Road-cum-rail or pipe line bridge - is a bridge for running a pipeline over a river or another
obstacle. Pipeline bridges for liquids and gases are, as a rule, only built when it is not possible
to run the pipeline on a conventional bridge or under the river. However, as it is more common
to run pipelines for centralized heating systems overhead, for this application even small
pipeline bridges are common.