Bridges

Prof. Anthony Cioffi, P.E.

Professor/Chairman
New York City College of Technology/CUNY

How are Bridges Used?

Walkways
Highways/Roads
Railways
Pipelines
Connecting Lands
Crossing Rivers
Stadiums
Roofs

 Arch

Types of Bridges

Truss
Cantilever
Cable-Stayed
Suspension
Beam
Moveable

What Makes a Bridge Stay Up?

Forces 2 Types
1st - Compression
> Pushing or Squeezing Force
2nd - Tension
> Pulling or Stretching Force

Arch Bridges
Keystone the wedgeshaped stone of an
arch that locks its
parts together
Abutments the
structures that
support the ends of
the bridge

Arch Bridges
How Does it Work ?
Compression

Arch Bridges
Where have you seen these bridges?

Bayonne Bridge N.J.

Sydney Harbor Bridge

Hoover Dam Bridge

Apollo Bridge - Slovakia

Steel Arch Bridge

Where have you seen these bridges?

High Bridge (officially, the Aqueduct Bridge)

Bronx, N.Y.

Hell Gate Arch Bridge, New York, Connecting Railroad Bridge from Queens

Cable-Stayed Bridges
Piers Supports the Towers
Towers Support the Cables
Cables Thick Steel Ropes from which the decking
is suspended

Decking Supports the Roadway

Cable

Tower

Deck
Pier

Cable-Stayed Bridges
How does it Work?
Tension & Compression

Cable-Stayed Bridges
Where have you seen these bridges?

Abdoun Bridge Amman, Jordan

Puente de la Unida Mexico
Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge
So Paulo - Brazil.

Zakim Bridge, Boston, MA

Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa, FL

Suspension Bridges
Similar to Cable-Stayed
> Uses Cables for Support

Tower
Cable

Suspender Cable
Deck

Pier
Abutment

Suspension Bridge
How does it Work?
Tension & Compression

Suspension Bridges
Where have you seen these bridges?

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge - Japan

Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Virginia

Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, NY

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, New York City

Truss Bridge
Top Chord

Diagonal

End Post
Hip Vertical

Deck

Support (Abutment)

Vertical

Bottom Chord

Truss Bridges

How does Work?

Tension& Compression

Truss Bridges
Where have you seen these bridges?

Francis Scott Key Bridge Maryland, USA

Betsy Ross Bridge Philadelphia, PA

Under Truss Bridge

Truss Connections

NY-79 Bridge
Broome County, New York
Warren

Cantilever Bridge
Where have you seen these bridges?

Firth of Forth-Forth Rail Bridge

Edinburgh, Scotland

Bluewater Bridge -Port Huron Michigan

Pierre Pflimlin Bridge - France

59th Street Bridge N.Y.C.

Beam Bridge
Where have you seen these bridges?

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

Moveable Bridges

Bascule Bridge
Woodrow Wilson Bridge-Virginia

Swing Bridge

London Bridge

Lift Bridge

Questions?

Build a Bridge

Open the Secret Envelope!