BRIDGE ENGINEERING

An aspect of structural engineering that deals with bridges

Compressive Strength Dynamic Force

a material's ability to resist a force that induces
compressive forces acceleration or vibration in a
structure
Tensile
of or pertaining to a pulling Shear Force
force a force acting
perpendicularly to the
Torsion longitudinal axis of a beam
twisting force

Seismic
of or pertaining to earthquakes or the movement of the earth

Load
the weight imposed on a bridge

Dead Load Live Load

constant and unpredictable and
unvarying forces the varying forces caused
structure has to by environmental
withstand, such as the factors or the
bridge's inherent changing weight of
weight traffic over the bridge

Bending Moment
Sum of forces applied to a beam that causes it to bend; creates opposing
tensile and compressive stresses over the cross-section

Hogging Moment
generates tensile forces in Sagging Moment
the top of the beam, causing generates tensile force in
the bottom surface to be the bottom of a beam, causing
concave the top surface to be concave

Truss
formed by triangular sections; each member is subject to compression
or tension

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

A –frame truss K-truss
comprises of two opposing has two diagonal members
diagonal members joined at between each pair of vertical
their apex and by a supports; begins at the
horizontal member at their midpoint of one vertical and
middles finish at the top and bottom
ends of the adjacent vertical

Bowstring Arch Truss

(tied arch)
the lateral thrust forces
in the arch are taken by a
lower chord (often
doubling as the bridge
deck)

Lenticular truss
comprises of two curved
chords; overall outline resembles a
lens

Pratt truss
diagonal members on each
side of the truss are
oriented in the same direction
and meet at the middle;
diagonals work in tension in
a simply supported
configuration
Vierendeel Truss
a type of truss formed of
rectangular instead of triangular
sections and which thereby relies
on the strength of its component
members in bending as well as
pure tension and compression

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

 Warren Truss
made up of only
horizontal and
alternating diagonal
members forming a
series of equilateral
triangles

Sub-divided Warren Truss

vertical members inserted between diagonal members of the truss

Catenary Curve
the natural curve created by a
suspended cable supported at both
ends

Saddle
mechanism at the top of
suspension bridge towers
over which suspension cables
are laid; purpose is to allow
for movement in the cables in
response to climatic
conditions and functional
requirements
Suspender Cable
the cables, referred to as
hangers, that attach the
road deck to the main
suspension cables on a
suspension bridge

Backstay cable
A major cable on a cable-
stayed bridge that is
connected to the ground
behind the mast or tower

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

Cable Stay
one of a number of independent high-tensile wires extending from a mast
or tower to support the bridge deck; cables arranged by radiating from
top mast in fanlike pattern or in parallel

Cantilever Arm Anchor Arm

the portion of a cantilever the end portion of a
bridge that forms part of the cantilever bridge extending
main span from one of the main piers to
an ancorpier

clearance Local Buckling

Distance between two Localized buckling a beam’s
elements plate elements that can lead
to the member’s failure
Effective width
Width of concrete slab, Shrinkage
functions as the top flange Natural change in volume of
of composite T-shaped concrete, caused by moisture
section loss

SpaN delaminatiom
distance between two Cracks or voids in concrete
supports or piers of a bridge below exposed surface that
cause concrete to peel off in
Cold joint layers
Joint between old or
hardened concrete and new Creep
concrete gradual movement caused by
Cracks or voids in concrete its own mass or applied
below exposed surface that long-term load or in
cause concrete to peel off in response to external
layers factors

elastic deformation Deflection

takes place when stress is Vertical displacement of a
proportional to strain member subjected to loading
LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING
Settlement Spalling
Movement of foundation or Breaking away of surface
footing due to deformation concrete from an element
and/or change in soil
properties Hairline cracks
Extremely fine cracks formed
onthesurface of new
heave concrete; occur at high
Upward movement of soil temperatures
caused by moisture,
excavation , pile driving etc Appurtenance
Any part that is not a major
structural component but
served a purpose to overall
functionality

Wearing surface
Asphalt layer or concrete based
material placed on top of the bridge
deck to protect deck and
substructure from traffic and
chemicals

Diaphragm
Transverse secondary member
attached between stringers acting to
stiffen primary members; helps
distribute lateral and some vertical loads

Brace
Soffit A supporting member that
underside of the ridge deck or provides additional strength or
girder rigidity in a structure

Chord Member
the top and bottom longitudinal part or element of a structure
members in a truss

Rib
a small member used to stiffen or strengthen part of a structure

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

 Caisson
a pressurized watertight and airtight chamber used in the
construction of bridge foundations situated under water

Friction Pile
effectiveness
depends on
friction with the
surrounding soil
instead of end
bearing

Cofferdam
a watertight enclosure
placed onto the riverbed
and drained to permit the
construction or repair of a
structure

Falsework
A temporary structure,
erected in the course of
constructing a permanent
structure

sheeted pit
Temporary box structure with only four sides,
used as an earth support system in excavation

Sheeting
Vertical planks driven into ground to act as
temporary retaining walls permitting excavation

Eyebar
a structural member
comprising a solid bar with
holes at each end, forming
part of a chain

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

Box Girder Balustrade
A hollow beam A railing along the side of
the bridge; usually
comprising a series of upright
supports topped by a
horizontal rail

Jersey barrier
a concrete
barrier named
after New Jersey
Department of
Transportation
Traffic barrier;
median barrier;
concrete

Parapet
a low wall that forms a barrier around the outer edge of the bridge

cap beam Column bent

Top beam in a bent that ties Bent shaped pier using
together supporting columns columns integrated with cap
or piles to form piers beam

Crossbeam
a transverse beam that connects two principal sides of a structure

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

Pylon
a tall structural member that acts as a principal supporting element in
a bridge

Cheek wall(curtain wall)

Concrete wall joined to an abutment wingwall used to shield
pedestals, bearings and stringer ends

Elastomeric pad
Pad made of synthetic rubber
that compresses under loads
and is used in bearings

Keeper plate
plate bolted or welded to a vole plate to prevent beam from being
disconnected from the bearing

Shim
thin metal sheet placed under
bearing assemblies to adjust bridge
feat elevation discrepancies

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

Slip Forming
a construction technique in
which concrete is poured
into a continuously moving
form common in
construction of tall
structures with consistent
section (core of a
skyscraper; pylons of
cable-stayed or suspension
bridges

Extrados / Extradosed
the exterior curve of an arch

Keystone
the central stone at the crown of an
arch

Haunch box girder

has an underside that arcs from
the support to the midspan;
deepening of the girder over the
supports reflects the form of
construction and its structural
performance

Camber
Arching of beam upward to
compensate for the dead load
deflection when load is placed on
it

Flange
section of a structural member that is
widened for additional strength

shoulder
Section of roadway on either side of travel
lane

Curb
A raised element used to denote the edge of
a pavement

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

 Dowel
Reinforcing bar embedded in two
concrete sections that transfers
stresses and holds the section
together

Expansion support
Support designed to
accommodate both
rotation longitudinal
translation

Leveling course
Layer of asphalt or
binder used to
smooth two sections
of pavement

AASHTO
American Association of State AADT
Highway and Transportation Average Annual Daily Traffic
Officials
ADT
ACI Average Daily traffic
American Concrete Institute
ADTT
Average Daily Truck Traffic

Sight distance
Length of visible roadway in
front of vehicle to avoid
collision

Sight triangle
Triangle formed at intersecting
streets to define a region that must be
free of obstructio

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

 Rehabilitation
Repair work of significant
Wheel load nature that calls for
Load due to one wheel in a engineering design of
design vehicle remedial measure
Two wheel loads comprise of
Relaxation
a single axle load
Decrease in pre-stressing
reinforcement stress over
Redundancy
time
Presence of multiple load
paths , if a structural
Resurfacing
member fails, another
Overlay if wearing surface
element or group can sustain
material on top of existing
the load
approach and/or deck
overlay; create uniform and
smooth –riding surface

Lateral Lateral bracing

A member placed Bracing located at either the
perpendicularly to a primary top or bottom flanges of a
member stringer to prevent lateral
deformation due to forces
normal to the bridge
centerline
Lateral stability
providing structural Longitudinal
stability through the bridge's pertaining to the length of
depth instead of along its the bridge
length

Transverse Transverse Bracing

Used to describe the axis of strengthening that occurs
a bridge that lies across a structure instead
perpendicular or a dial to of along it
the center line of the
structure

Alligator Cracking
cracks in a wearing surface or approach
pavement forming an interlock

Efflorescence
White substance that
forms on the surface of
concrete due to water
seeping into cracks

Raveling
Cumulative loss of aggregate from pavement
(bituminous) results in poor riding surface

LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING

Web crippling
Localized yielding that occurs when high compressive stresses arise
from concentrated load

Limit States Design

A design method based on ability of a structure to fulfill its function
Defined by strength and serviceability

Load Factor Design Load and Resistance Factor Design

Used by AASHTO as an Used by AASHTO, ACI and AISC
alternative to WSD in
standard specifications

P loading
Hypothetical deign vehicle
developed by California
Department of Transportation
for special permit loading
H loading
AASHTO Hypothetical design Lane loading
truck A hypothetical design
loading used to stimulate a
two types :H20-44 and H15-44
train of light trucks moving
across a bridge
HS Loading
HS20-44 and HS15-44; HS25
Load Rating
used for the past 20 years
Indicates the live load
capacity of a bridge
HL loading
Hypothetical design truck
Military loading
plus uniformly distributed
A loading configuration used
live load by AASHTO LRFD
to stimulate heavy military
specifications
vehicles passing over a bridge

Truck Loading
A hypothetical design loading used to simulate a single truck on the bridge

Service load Design

AASHTO designation for Working Stress Design

Working stress design

Method of design based on maximum allowable stresses defined by the
yield stress and a factor of safety

Strength Design
AASHTO and ACI designation for LFD

Ultimate Stress Design

Former ACI designation for LFD

Acceleration Coefficient
Used to describe ground motion due to seismic forces

Yield point
Stress at which material begins to yield

Residual stress
Stress locked into a member after it has been formed into final shape
LEXICON FOR BRIDGE ENGINEERING