PREFACE
Bridges consist of super- and sub-structures. Superstructure, often called bridge deck structure, is
traditionally analyzed by the deck itself for the load distribution behavior. With the invention of
computers and the creation of bridge-related software, the approximation can be minimized and
tedious processes can be streamlined. It is now possible to change the structural parameters, even
structural types, during the design process, because the computer program can now recalculate
stresses, deflections, and internal forces in seconds. Through the advances of computer graphic
capabilities, meshing in the pre-process and contour displaying on the fly in the post-process are the
norms of almost all bridge analysis/design computer programs. With today’s power of both hardware
and software, more sophisticated three-dimensional (3D) Finite Element (FE) models have been used in
many major structures’ design in part or in all. Based on current availability and future potential, high
performance computer hardware and advanced software technologies can even provide an
unprecedented opportunity to develop a new generation of integrated analysis and design systems with
roads and bridges so as to benefit, not only new bridge design, but also routine load rating and
maintenance of existing bridges, which will be discussed more in Chapters 1 and 18.
However, no matter where the computer technology leads, a bridge engineer still needs the
fundamental knowledge of bridge behavior under the combinations of different types of loads during
various construction stages. This book serves the role of carrying the fundamental knowledge of bridges
to the novel approach of all major bridge types. Several computer programs were utilized to analyze the
illustrated bridge examples throughout this book. We intend to show the principle rather than the
capability of each program, so limited details on the data input and the code specifications are provided.
The distinctive features are the presentation of wide range of bridge structural types yet fairly code-
independent. With this intent, this book is aimed towards students, especially at the Master of Science
(MSc) level, and practicing professionals at bridge design offices and bridge design authorities world-
wide.
This book is divided to three parts; Part A covers the general of bridges, Part B covers bridge behavior
and modeling of all types of bridges, and Part C covers special topics of bridges. In Part A, Chapter 1
provides an introduction and Chapter 2 covers the methods of computational analysis and design
suitable for bridge structures. These methods vary from approximate to refined analyses depending on
the size, complexity and importance of the bridge. With rapidly improving computer technology, the
more refined and complex methods of analyses are becoming more and more commonplace. Chapter 3
provides the background and approaches of numeric methods specifically for bridges.
The scope of Part B is to provide information on the methods of analysis and its modeling technique
suitable for the design and evaluation of various types of bridges. All chapters include illustrated
examples of bridges all over the world, especially in the United States and China. We started from deck-
type, especially beam-type, bridges. Chapters 4 through 6 discuss concrete bridges. Chapters 7 and 8
examine steel bridges. The remaining four chapters, 9 through 12, discuss arch bridges, truss bridges,
cable-stayed bridges, and suspension bridges, respectively, where, except for truss bridges which are
mostly built in steel, the other three bridge types can be either in concrete or steel.
In Part C, for the purpose of analysis, several special topics, such as strut-and-tie modeling (Chapter 13),
stability analysis (Chapter 14), redundancy analysis (Chapter 15), integral bridges (Chapter 16),
dynamic/earthquake analysis (Chapter 17) and bridge geometry (Chapter 18), are also covered to
complete the book. In this part, models may include super- and sub-structures. Some may even need
3D FEM nonlinear analysis. The major issues of recent developments in bridge technology are also
presented and discussed in those chapters. The focus is mainly on highway bridges, although some
information is also provided for railway bridges.
Overall, this book demonstrates how bridge structures can be analyzed based on relatively simple or
more sophisticated mathematical models with the physical meanings behind the modeling, so that
engineers can gain confidence with their modeling techniques, even for a complicated bridge structure.
