INTRODUCTION

BASICS OF TRUSS BRIDGE

Truss is a formation produced by triangular components, in accordance with the truss bridge
drawings, and coupled at joints known as nodes. The triangular units forming the truss are
slim and straight in form. The truss bridges consist of a grouping of triangles that are
manufactured from straight and steel bars, according to the truss bridge designs. The solid
arms of the triangle are extended from the pier sides. The diagonal steel tubes project from
the bottom and top of each pier, and assist in holding the arms in the correct position. Trusses
are organized as straight elements that are connected at the ends by hinges to develop a
secure arrangement.

On application of loads on the truss joints, forces are communicated to the truss elements.
The steel truss bridge members are in compression or tension. The trusses possess a high ratio
of strength to weight, and therefore are useful for being employed in truss bridges. Trusses
are also suitable for use in several other structures like roof supports and space stations.
Amongst the modern bridges, truss bridges are considered to be included in the older kinds.
The famous truss bridges are relatively inexpensive due to effective utilization of the bridge
materials. The truss bridge designs are an important factor in architecture.

1. Component Parts of a Truss Bridge

A truss is a structure composed of members connected together to form a rigid

framework. Members are the load-carrying components of a structure. In most trusses,
members are arranged in interconnected triangles, as shown below. Because of this
configuration, truss members carry load primarily in tension and compression. Because
trusses are very strong for their weight, they are often used to span long distances. They've
been used since the early 19th century but are somewhat less common in recent years.
 Warren Truss

Vertical Warren Truss

Component Parts

The major components of a typical truss bridge are illustrated in the two diagrams below.
The elevation view shows the bridge from the side. The isometric view is a three-
dimensional representation of the structure. Note that certain members are only visible in the
isometric view.

Elevation View

Component parts of a typical truss bridge.

Isometric View

The three-dimensional bridge structure has two main load-carrying trusses. Each truss is
composed of a top chord, a bottom chord, and several verticals and diagonals. The two
trusses are connected together by a series of transverse members - struts, lateral
bracing and floor beams.

In early truss bridges, all of these members would have been made of wood or iron. Today,
they're usually made of steel. Modern steel truss members are manufactured in a wide variety
of shapes and sizes. A few common examples are shown below. The model truss we will be
building will use both solid bars and hollow tubes. When we load-test our model, we'll see
why one truss often uses two different types of members.

One major component of a truss bridge that is usually not made of steel is the deck - the flat
surface between the two main trusses. (In the isometric drawing, only part of the deck is
shown, so the structural members below it can be seen). Bridge decks are usually made of
concrete, but might else be built from wooden planks or steel grating. When a vehicle crosses
a bridge, their weight is directly supported by the deck. The deck, in turn, is supported on the
floor beams. The floor beams transmit the weight of the vehicle to the main trusses.

The truss drawings above do not show the connections that are used to join the structural
members together. Even though they are important. They have a big influence on the ability
of a structure to carry a load. Indeed, inadequately designed connections have been the cause
of several catastrophic structural failures in the U.S.

Two are two common types of a structural connections used in trusses - pinned
connections and gusset plate connections. Examples of teach are shown in the photographs
below. As the name suggests, the pinned connections uses a single large metal pin to connect
two or more members together, much like the pin in a door hinge. In a gusset plate
connection, members are joined together by one or two heavy metal gusset plates, which are
attacehd to the individual members with rivets, bolts or welds. Pinned connections were used
extensively throughout the 19th century. Most modern bridges, including the model bridge
we will be building here, use gusset plate connections.

Typical pinned connection

Typical gusset plate connection

2. Types of Truss Bridges

There are numerous forms of truss bridges that depend upon the topography and the purpose
to be obtained by the bridge. The common types of truss bridges are as explained below:

Howe Truss
The Howe truss consists of diagonal and vertical elements. The diagonal elements slope
towards the bridge center in an upward direction. The vertical elements are under tension.
This is a rare type of truss bridge originally patented in 1840 by William Howe. Famous
examples are the Jay Bridge in New York and the Sandy Creek Covered Bridge in Missouri

Lenticular Truss
This kind of bridge uses a lens-shape truss. An upper arch curves up and then down, and a
lower one curves down and then up. The two arches meet at the same end points. Examples
of this bridge include the Royal Albert Bridge in UK and the Smithfield Street Bridge in
Pennsylvania.

Bailey Bridge
This bridge is normally utilized to cover obstacles by the military tanks and other equipment.
It can be constructed without the need of heavy tools or machinery.

K Truss
The bridge design is complex, and the construction requires extensive use of heavy
equipment. The bridge elements under tension are reduced in number.

Bowstring Arch Truss

This bridge was patented in 1840 by S. Whipple. The main characteristic here is that the
vertical loads on the thrust arches are transmitted along the arc path. At the end of the arch,
the thrust is resolved into vertical and horizontal components.
Pegram Truss
In this bridge, the upper chords are all of equal length and the lower chords are longer than
the corresponding upper chord. Because of this difference, each panel is not square.
3. Truss Bridge Construction

Truss bridge construction is initiated with a detailed soil analysis to determine suitability for
the bridge and traffic loads. The truss bridge is designed with either the road being at the truss
bottom, or alternatively with the road being at the truss top. The former design has the bridge
elements under compression, while the elements of the later design are mostly under tension.
The bridge materials are selected and either welded or bolted, according to the requirement.
The concrete is poured in the abutments, with the anchor bolts firmly inserted. Finally, the
trusses are built, and the bridge is ready for use.

4. Truss Bridge Designs

A truss bridge is designed using Newton's laws of motion and incorporating pin joints. Pin
joints are places at which straight elements of the truss formation meet. It is assumed that
only the tensile and compressive forces operate on the truss elements. The truss bridge
comprises vertical, horizontal, and the diagonal elements. The vertical members are under
tension, while the horizontal elements are subjected to bending, shear, and tensile loads. The
diagonal elements are under compressive forces.
The Advantages of Truss Bridges

1. Economical To Build
The materials to build a truss bridge are minimal, and every single bit is used very efficiently.
It also utilizes cheaper and lighter materials. The strength comes when these materials are
formed to the triangles.

2. Very Strong
The unique triangular design provides support for the entire bridge. This gives it great
strength making it ideal for very high traffic and heavy load areas.

3. Road Placement
Truss bridges are one of the only types of bridges where the actual road way can be placed
directly on top. This helps to make it easily integrated into the construction process.

4. Built In Difficult Places

These types of bridges can be built across small or long spans while maintaining their
strength. Virtually anywhere that a bridge is needed, a truss bridge can do the job.

The Disadvantages of Truss Bridges

1. Complicated Design
The design of truss bridges can become very complicated depending on the situation. The
triangles have to be the perfect size and there has to be the perfect amount in order for the
truss bridge to be safe.

2. Maintenance
Due to the amount of materials and different parts, the upkeep on truss bridges can be
difficult. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what is wrong if the bridge has issues.

3. Waste of Materials
If even just one small part of construction goes wrong, a very large amount of materials are
wasted.

4. Very Heavy
Truss bridges are massive and weight quite a bit. In for the surrounding land to be able to
support these bridges additional support is often needed. This may include making
adjustments to existing structures around the bridge.