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Bridges

With the firm belief that bridges are integral to a country's economic and social development, we plan to install bridges throughout the world, with a focus on third world countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. Because we want to make bridges economically accessible for these countries, we have provided below the most affordable yet efficient types of bridges and materials to build these bridges. 
 

Bridge

Factors we Consider

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Material

Steel

  • Extremely strong, ductile, versatile

    • 370N/sq mm(~8x stronger than concrete)

    • Can deform considerably before breaking after being exposed to stresses above what it was intended to support

  • Railway, long-span bridges

  • Carbon steel

    • Stiff, short bridges only, not very strong

  • High strength steel

    • Alloys contained to improve structural integrity, for long bridges

  • Weathering steels and stainless steel

    • Resistant to corrosion due to tough outer covering, useful in salty environments

  • Heat treated carbon steel

    • Extremely strong, durable and used in large projects

  • Innovations of steel production produce one ton of steel in less than an hour, using recycled materials and less materials in general due to its greater strength and reliability can reduce price 

  • Requires less skilled workers to build an effective bridge, faster construction due to no wait for curing

  • Can be recycled much more effectively than concrete

  • Requires less ongoing maintenance/repairs

Material

Concrete

  • highly durable and has a high compressive strength

  • Hold great loads, ideal for bridges

  • Versatile, prestressed or reinforced concrete

    • Prestressed is lighter, better at absorbing shock, impact, load resistance, reduced weight leads to savings in materials used

    • Reinforced absorbs structural/internal stresses due to high coefficient of thermal expansion, ductile, meaning there is significantly reduced bending in response to tensile actions

  • Inexpensive due to ingredients being readily available, ideal for poorer countries with low budget

  • Takes time to strengthen/cure through hydration

    • Longer time = greater costs

  • Deconstruction of concrete bridges leads to CO2 emissions due to cement, contributes to landfills due to only 50% being recycled

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Type

Truss and Beam Bridge

  • Beam and Truss bridge designs are cheap and effective

    • Truss bridge

      • Transfer forces axially

      • No internal shear and moment forces, applied axially to the member, uniformly distributing stresses

      • Efficient for long spans

      • Usually made of steel

      • Avg cost: $500-2000/LF(linear foot)

    • Beam bridge

      • Usually constructed of wood, concrete, steel

      • Strength depends on distance between piers

      • Slightly less expensive than steel truss bridge($400-1600/LF)

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