CIVE1187 - Tutorial Class
Week 2
CIVE1187 - Bridge Design Project
This is the major project worth 25% of the assessment.
You are required to apply concepts you have learned to
design a bridge and determine the bridge dimensions
needed to satisfy performance requirements.
Dr Jie Li
What is a bridge???
Dr Jie Li
A bridge is a structure built to span a valley, road, body of
water, or other physical obstacle, for the purpose of providing
passage over the obstacle
Dr Jie Li
Bridges- Built by Nature
Dr Jie Li
Bridges- Built by Nature
Dr Jie Li
Initial Form of Man-Made Bridge
Dr Jie Li
Dr Jie Li
Dr Jie Li
Bridge Design Project
(25% marks)
Concept Design Design of Truss Bridge
Dr Jie Li
Concept Design
• Select a Bridge Proposal
• Material & approximate dimensions
• Specify Load path
• Justify your proposal
• Give plan, elevation, side views
Dr Jie Li
The Basic Bridge Types
• Girder
• Rigid Frame
• Truss
• Arch
• Cable Stayed
• Suspension
Dr Jie Li
1. Girder Bridge
• Girder is used to denote main horizontal beam of a
structure which supports smaller beams.
• Girder bridges are mainly suitable to support road and
railway bridges.
Girders
Steel Concrete
I beam girders I beams/T beams (Multiple)
Plate girders Box Girders (Single/Multiple)
Dr Jie Li
Girder Bridge
(typical span: 10m – 200m)
I – beam girder box girder
Steel Girder Bridge
Dr Jie Li
Plate Girder Bridge
Dr Jie Li
Multiple Steel Girder Bridge
Dr Jie Li
Multi-Girder Bridge (Concrete)
Dr Jie Li
Girder Bridge
Dr Jie Li
Single-Box Girder Bridge (Concrete)
Dr Jie Li
Box Girder Bridge (Concrete)
Bolte Bridge, Melbourne
Main span =173 m, Total length = 490 m
Dr Jie Li
2. Rigid Frame Bridges
The rigid fame type has superstructure and substructure
which are integrated.
Pi shaped rigid frame
Dr Jie Li
Rigid Frame Bridges
Dr Jie Li
3. Truss Bridge
• A Truss is a structural frame composed of individual straight
members connected to form a series of triangles.
• Depending upon the location of the deck, the truss may be
Through type or Deck type.
Truss Bridges
Through Type
Deck Type
Dr Jie Li
Truss Bridge- Through Type
Dr Jie Li
Truss Bridge - Deck Type
Dr Jie Li
Truss Bridges - Deck & Trough
Dr Jie Li
Load path for Truss Bridge
Traffic load
Deck
Cross beams
Stringers
Abutments
Dr Jie Li
Dr Jie Li
4. Arch Bridges
• An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as
a curved arch.
• Arch bridges are always under compression.
• The force of compression is pushed outward along the curve of
the arch toward the abutments.
Dr Jie Li
Load Path for Arch Bridge
Traffic load
Deck
Arch
Abutments
Earth
Dr Jie Li
Types of Arches
Deck Type
Through Type
Half Through
Dr Jie Li
Deck Arch Bridges
Brick
Stone
Concrete
Steel
Dr Jie Li
Brick Arch Bridge-Deck Type
Dr Jie Li
Stone Arch Bridges
- Deck Type
Dr Jie Li
Concrete Arch Bridges
- Deck Type
Dr Jie Li
Steel Arch Bridge
- Deck Type
Dr Jie Li
Steel Arch Bridge
- Deck Type
Dr Jie Li
Through Arch Bridges
Concrete Steel
Dr Jie Li
Through Arch Bridge
Dr Jie Li
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Main span = 504 m, Total length =1149 m
Dr Jie Li
Sydney Harbour Bridge - 1932
The bridge took 140,000 men, 8 years, 53,000 tonnes of steel and 4.2 million dollars to build.
Tallest & Longest Arch Bridge to be Built - Dubai
Max span = 667 m, Max height = 205 m
Dr Jie Li
5. Cable Stayed Bridges
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns
(towers), with cables supporting the bridge deck.
Dr Jie LI
Typical towers
Cable-Stayed Bridges
Clark Bridge, Alton, Illinois
Dr Jie Li
West Gate Bridge
Main span = 336m, Total length = 2582 m
The West Gate Bridge spans the 2.5 kms of Yarra river that separates
Melbourne’s western suburbs from its CBD. It is one of Australia’s biggest
cable-stayed girder bridges and is used by 160,000 vehicles daily. With its
distinctive curving shape, the West Gate is instantly recognisable as one of
the city’s iconic structures.
Dr Jie Li
West Gate Bridge
2 years into construction of the bridge, at 11.50 am on 15
October 1970, the 112 m span between piers 10 and 11
collapsed and fell 50 m to the ground and water below. 35
construction workers were killed.
Dr Jie Li
The tragedy
On the day of the collapse, there was a difference in camber of
11.4 cm between two half-girders which needed to be joined. It
was proposed that the higher one be weighted down with 10
concrete blocks, each 8 tonnes
Dr Jie Li
The tragedy
It seemed such a small thing at the time. A 11.4cm gap, easily closed with
some weights ready at hand. But at best it was just a guess – a guess
that 35 men paid for with their lives.
Dr Jie Li
The error
A decision to use concrete ballast (kentledge) to realign girders that didn’t
meet, was a fatal one.
Dr Jie Li
The collapse
2000 tons of concrete and steel and more than 50 men plunge into the
Yarra River.
Dr Jie Li
Royal Commission attributed the failure of the bridge to two causes: the
structural design by designers Freeman Fox & Partners and an unusual
method of construction by World Services and Construction, the original
contractors of the project.
Six twisted fragments of the collapsed bridge can be found adorning the
gardens in the engineering faculty of Monash University, Clayton
campus. It is said by students that they are to remind engineers of the
consequences of their errors. Monash University acquired these when
asked to participate in the investigation of the collapse.
Dr Jie Li
Visions of Cable-Stayed
Bridges
Cable Stayed Bridge,
Kiev, Ukraine
Jackfield Bridge in
Coalbrookdale
Dr Jie Li
Visions of Cable-Stayed Bridges
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa, FL
Winner of 17 design awards
© Figg Engineering Group
Dr Jie Li
World’s Longest Cable-Stayed Bridge
Sutong Bridge, China
Main Span = 1088 m, Built in 2008
Dr Jie Li
Load Path for Cable Stayed Bridge
Traffic load
Deck
Cables
Tower
Pier
Dr Jie Li
6. Suspension Bridges
main cable
hanger cable
tower tower
• A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (the load-
bearing portion) is hung below suspension cables on vertical
suspenders.
• This type of bridge has cables suspended between towers, plus
vertical suspender cables that carry the weight of the deck below.
• The suspension cables must be anchored at each end of the bridge.
• Longer main spans are achievable than with any other type of bridge
Dr Jie Li
Akashi Bridge, Japan
Suspension Bridges
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Main span =1280 m, Longest Suspension Bridge so far.
built in 1937 Main span =1991m, built in 1998
46 suicides from Golden
Gate Bridge in 2013 !
Dr Jie Li
US$ 76 million
Akashi Bridge, Japan
Suspension Bridges
In 2016, there were 184 successful
interventions and 39 suicides.
In 2017, assisted/saved 245.
33 suicides.
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Main span =1280 m,
built in 1937
46 suicides from
Golden Gate Bridge
in 2013 !
Load Path for Suspension Bridge
Traffic load
Cable Tower
Abutment Suspenders Deck
Suspenders
Cables
Abutments/Anchorages
Dr Jie Li
Activity 1
Form Groups
(4-5 each group)
Students can choose their own group members but
each group should maintain diversity.
Dr Jie Li
Activity 2
Introduce the Bridge Design Project
Read the bridge design brief/handout
and the Austroads Bridge design code
with your team mates
Dr Jie LI
Home work
Further internet search and come back to
the next class with some sketches of
structural forms for the proposed bridge.
Dr Jie LI
