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the budget. Also, the types that have been listed in above paragraph need different materials, hence engineers keep the
record of the material available near the site, the manufacturers who will manufacture the parts and the transport medium
which is least the expensive. Also, material should be rust free, or supplementary mixtures which eliminates rust and
degradation of material is used.
Self-Weight and Support for Bridge
A bridge is used to carry a very large load, but the self-weight of bridge plays a significant role as the quantity of steel
and/or concrete used to build the bridge is excessive. Hence, engineers try to minimize the weight of bridge as must as
possible. Before even starting the design of bridge, the engineers choose a site which could provide enough support for
bridge which carries thousands of tons on it. The properties of soil, type of rocks and the crust of earth is studied in detail
before choosing the site.
Impact of Fire
Bridges are used to improve the transportation, hence, every type of vehicle hauls through it and traffic intensity also
remains high. Because of this there always remain chances of accidents, and trucks carrying inflammable substance like
gasoline extends the probability of blasts that advances fire. Also, the bridges which are used for trains can get fire due to
sparks generated by friction between train wheels and track. Hence, the material like wood is not used for building bridges
nowadays; also soft steel which has melting point is avoided. But also because hard steels has high density, it increases
total self-weight of bridge, hence, engineers finds the most compatible solution.
Bridges near Water Bodies:
Most of the times, bridges are made over water bodies like lakes or rivers to create a quick alternative for transportation.
For such bridges water force is another parameter to consider. Also, extra efforts are needed to make the available land bear
the load of bridges, by filling them with layers of rock or with the technique of riprap. At such places effects of floods are
also considered by the designers. In floods, water carries scrap, soil and tree parts with it, which gets accumulated at the
beams of bridges and can destroy the bridge. Most of the time, bridges don’t get collapsed during the flood, but after
months of flood, because flood damages the bridges. Because of this after floods, bridges are examined by the inspectors
and necessary steps are taken.
Immunity from Earthquakes:
To build a bridge in an earthquake prone area involves a few more complications. Because of seismic effect not only the
bridge itself but its foundation gets sway, this may cause destruction of whole bridge. Bridges are built to withstand the
maximum credible earthquake. Suitable place is discovered to build the supports, or by using tremor absorbing materials to
the foundation. Material used for constructing bridges is comparably less hard than traditional bridges. Bearings, shock
absorbers, shear links are additionally installed for further safety. Furthermore the lengths of bridges are reduced so that the
complications get minimized.
Aesthetics
Bridges are so massive that they represent the power and capability of that territory. Most of the bridges act as tourist
attractions. Hence, even governments motivate engineers to make it symbolic.
To construct a successful bridge out of all these complications, many experts like Design Engineers, Archaeologists,
Contractors, Skyway Engineers, Bridge Engineers, Superintendents, Safety Managers, Carpenters, Pile-drives, Crane-
operators, Laborer, Iron Workers, comes together. When right type of people meet they take bridges to next level, and
constructs Movable bridges, Double-decked bridges, viaducts, three way bridges, etc. Collapsing of bridges doesn’t only
affects the self-esteem of all the engineers involved, but also affects lives of the people trapped in the accident. These
things make a bridge a social, cultural and political heritage. Hence, just like other infrastructures, building great bridges
are great achievement for all the people involved.
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