Loads on Bridges

The SUBSTRUCTURE transmits all these loads and the

substructure dead load to the EARTH.

The EARTH supports the bridge and all its loads It’s all about
LOAD PATHS.

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Loads on Bridges:

Loads acting on bridges are divided into

 Primary loads
 Secondary loads
A load is considered primary or secondary according to the part
of the bridge which shall be designed.
Wind loads are secondary loads in designing the main girders
and primary loads in designing the wind bracings.

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Loads on Bridges:
Primary loads: Secondary loads:
 Dead loads Wind pressure or earthquake
 Live loads Braking force
 Impact loads Temperature effect
 Centrifugal forces Frictional resistance at movable
bearing.
Effect of shrinkage and creep of
concrete
Forces due to erection

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Loads on Bridges:
Main components of bridge structure:
Super structure: Deck, bearings, kerb, handrails, expansion
joints, drain pipes, parapet walls, guide
posts etc..
Sub structure: Abutments, piers, wing walls, approach
slab etc..
Foundation Shallow foundation (isolated, combined,
strip, and raft), deep foundation (well and
pile foundation)
Protective works Bed lining

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Loads on Bridges as
per IRC

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Loads on Bridges:
Classification of Loading:
 IRC Class 70R Loading: This loading is to be normally adopted
on all roads on which permanent bridges and culverts are
constructed. Bridges designed for Class 70R Loading should be
checked for Class A Loading also as under certain conditions,
heavier stresses may occur under Class A Loading.
 IRC Class AA Loading: This loading is to be adopted within
certain municipal limits, contemplated industrial areas, and
certain specified highways. Similar to IRC Class 70R.
 IRC Class A Loading: This loading is to be normally adopted
on all roads on which permanent bridges and culverts are
constructed.
 IRC Class B Loading: This loading is to be normally adopted
for timber bridges.

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Loads on Bridges:
Codes Used:
 IRC:06-2014: Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for
Road Bridges, Section II – Loads and Stresses (Fifth Revision)
 IRC:18-2000: Design Criteria for Prestressed Concrete Road
Bridges (Post-Tensioned Concrete) (Third Revision) (Amalgamated
with IRC:112-2011)
 IRC:21-2000: Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for
Road Bridges, Section III – Cement Concrete (Plain and
Reinforced)
 IRC:22-2008: Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for
Road Bridges, Section VI – Composite Construction (Limit
States
Design) (Second Revision)
 IRC:24-2010: Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for
Road Bridges, Steel Road Bridges (Limit State Method)Third
Revision)
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Loads on Bridges:
Codes Used:
 IRC:78-2000: Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for
Road Bridges, Section VII – Foundations and Substructure
(Second Revision)
 IRC:83-1999 (Part-I): Standard Specifications and Code of
Practice for Road Bridges, Section IX – Bearings, Part I :
Metallic Bearings (First Revision)

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Loads on Bridges:
Softwares Used:
 ADAPT-ABI: analysis and design of segmental, cable-stayed,
precast, pre- and post-tensioned, concrete bridges and
girders
 STAAD: including AASHTO, ASD, or LRFD
 SAP2000
 GT STRUDL: linear and nonlinear static and dynamic analysis
features include moving load generation, response spectrum
analysis, pushover analysis, plastic hinges. New solvers
enable the solution of static and dynamic models with more
than 300,000 degrees of freedom. Also use for the analysis of
cable-stayed and suspension bridges, tunnels, and seismic
retrofit. Impact loads
 MDX and MIDAS 10
Loads on Bridges:
Loads for design of a bridge:
Dead load
 Aggregate weight of complete structure elements such as
deck, wearing coat, parapets, stiffeners and utilities.

Live load
 Includes vehicle live load That are moving on the bridge.
 IRC has categorized standards of vehicle live load as under
following categories

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Loads on Bridges:
Classification of Loading:
IRC class AA: 1. Tracked vehicle of 70 t
2. Wheeled vehicle of 40 t
 National highways; State highways;
Major district roads
IRC class A: 1. Other district roads; Village roads and
cart tracks
IRC class B Temporary structures like timber bridges

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Loads on Bridges:
Classification of Loading:

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Loads on Bridges:
Classification of Loading:
If a bridge designed for
IRC class AA loading
then it will automatically
satisfied IRC class A &
class B loading.

IRC 70R is not used in

India. It is used only in
USA.

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Loads on Bridges:
Classification of Loading:

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Loads on Bridges:
Classification of Loading:
Reduction in the longitudinal effect on bridges accommodating
more than two traffic lanes

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Loads on Bridges:
Impact loads:
 It is account for the dynamic effects of sudden loading of a
vehicle on bridge structure.
 It is calculated by multiplying the live load with an impact
factor.
 The impact factor is calculated as the IRC-6 suggested which
are discussed below.

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Loads on Bridges:
Impact factor for IRC CLASS A loading
If=A/(B+L)
Where If=Impact factor
A=constant( 4.5 for RCC bridge & 9.0 for STEEL bridge)
B=constant (6.0 for RCC bridge & 13.5 for STEEL bridge)
L= effective span

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Loads on Bridges:

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Loads on Bridges:

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Loads on Bridges:
Centrifugal forces:
 Consider for bridge constructed on horizontal curve.
 Where a road bridge is situated on a curve, all portions of the
structure affected by the centrifugal action of moving
vehicles are to be proportioned to carry safely the stress
induced by this action in addition to all other stress to which
they may be subjected.

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Loads on Bridges:
Wind forces:
 This clause is applicable to normal span bridges with
individual span length up to 150 m or for bridges with height
of pier up to 100 m. For all other bridges including cable
stayed bridges, suspension bridges and ribbon bridges
specialist literature shall be used for computation of design
wind load.
 The intensity of wind force shall be based on hourly mean
wind speed and pressure. The hourly mean wind speed and
pressure values corresponds to a basic wind speed of 33 m/s,
return period of 100 years, for bridges situated in plain terrain
and terrain with obstructions, with a flat topography.

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Loads on Bridges:
Wind forces:

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Loads on Bridges:
Wind forces:
 The transverse wind force FT (in N) shall be taken as acting at
the centroids of the appropriate areas and horizontally and
shall be estimated from:
FT = PzAtGCD
where, Pzis the hourly mean wind pressure in N/m2 (see Table 5),
At is the solid area in m2 (see Clause 209.3.2), G is the gust
factor and CDis the drag coefficient depending on the
geometric shape of bridge deck.

 The longitudinal force on bridge superstructure FL (in N) shall

be taken as 25 percent and 50 percent of the transverse wind
load as calculated as per Clause 209.3.3 for beam/box/plate
girder bridges and truss girder bridges respectively.
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Loads on Bridges:
Wind forces:
 An upward or downward vertical wind load FV (in N) acting at
the centroid of the appropriate areas, for all superstructures
shall be derived from:
FV = PzA3GCL
CL is the lift coefficient which shall be taken as 0.75 for normal
type of slab, box, l-girder and plate girder bridges. For other
type of deck cross-sections shall be ascertained either from
wind tunnel tests or, if available, for similar type of structure.
Specialist literature shall be referred to.

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Loads on Bridges:
Seismic forces:
The effect of vertical component may be omitted for all
elements in zones II and III, except for the following cases

a) prestressed concrete decks

b) bearings and linkages
c) horizontal cantilever structural elements
d) bridges located in the 'Near Field Regions‘

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Loads on Bridges:
Seismic forces:
Combination of Component Motions

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Loads on Bridges:
Seismic forces:
Horizontal seismic force
Feq = Ah (Dead Load + Appropriate Live Load)

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Loads on Bridges:
Seismic forces:

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Loads on Bridges:
Seismic forces:

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Loads on Bridges:
Seismic forces:

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