Bridge Location: 5.1.1. Preparation For Site Investigation

5.
BRIDGE LOCATION
In general, the bridge should be built to serve the traffic best, unless there
are other situation that are controlling. According to MS Troitsky is “bridge for the
highway but not highway for the bridge”.
Poor location and wrong sizes of the structure can make the bridge
vulnerable to failure. Bridge is an expensive structure so there is no room for a
mistake. In order to avoid it we need to considerate the requirements to come
up with a sustainable bridge.
5.1. PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING
Preliminary engineering incorporates work, then throughout visits of
the site. Under this is preparation for site investigation and site works.
5.1.1. PREPARATION FOR SITE INVESTIGATION
Preparation for site investigation includes photography,
collecting maps, geological and hydrologic reports. Aerial
photographs are photographs of the ground from a raised position.
It is helpful in determining the strength of streams. Stable streams will
show up in the same location year after year, while the locations of
unstable streams may show changes in photographs taken during
different years.
GIS (Graphic Information System) used to design and analyze
geographic data like land, streams, watersheds, etc. Topographic
maps are helpful to locate the bridge and infrared maps can show
areas that are liable to being wet and may show problem areas
with wetlands or springs. County pats and other landownership
maps should be used to establish ownership of private lands where
the bridge may be located.
5.1.2. SITE WORK
Site works includes geotechnical investigation, site
investigation and site survey. Borings are desirable for sites with
undesirable and complicated soils or highly fractured shear
bedrock faces. Wet and unstable sites with clay and silt soils should
be avoided. Complex bridge sites require a thorough investigation
because of problems correlated with stream dynamics, floodplains,
wildlife, and so forth. The more complex the site, the more
disciplines will have to be deliberated.
The recommended site survey should be at least 300 ft
upstream and downstream from the proposed bridge site to
allocate enough stream reach information for a sufficient hydraulic
analysis. 150 ft on each side of the stream to supply adequate

information to design road approaches and 50 ft for tops of bank
on each side of the stream for the entire floodplain.
6. COMPONENTS OF ROAD
6.1. EMBANKMENT
The embankment is built to reinforce the other three layers of the road
pavement system. The construction of embankments for highways can take
up a large part of the total cost. Embankments can be made from almost
any common type of deposit aside from topsoil.
6.2. SUB-GRADE
The sub-grade is compose of soils that have been specially prepared to
meet the requirements to support the other two layers.
The sub-grade is a selected soil material that is carefully compacted to
give uniform support to the pavement. The sub-grade lies direct on the
embankment or the native soil.
6.3. BASE
The base is an intermixture of crushed rock. The base layer gives uniform
support to the road pavement. It allows water that enters any joints or cracks
in the road pavement to move rapidly to the sub-drain without saturating

and softening the sub-grade. The base layer lies direct on top of the sub-
grade and is built of clean sand or rock.
6.4. PAVEMENT
The top layer is called the pavement. Its materials can either be Hot
Mix Asphalt (HMA) and Portland Cement Concrete (PCC). The pavement
itself can withstand bending, and distributes vehicle weights over a large
area.
6.5. SUB-DRAIN
The sub-drain collects water from the base and the sub-grade drains
that water into the ditch. The sub-drain lies alongside the pavement, base
and sub-grade. The sub-drain is basically a trench with a perforated pipe
near the lowest part. It is surrounded by clean coarse aggregates which
allows rapid passage of water.
6.6. RIGHT OF WAY
Right of way is the area of land acquired and allocated for construct
and development of road along its alignment. The width of the right of
way is called land width and it depends upon the width of formation,
slope of cuttings and embankments, minimum sight distance on horizontal
curves, drainage system and also on the importance of the road and
possible future development.

6.7. FORMATION WIDTH
Formation width is the sum of widths of carriage way or pavements,
shoulders and separators if any.
6.8. ROAD MARGINS
Road margins are the portion of the road beyond the carriageway
and on the roadway. The various elements in the road margins are parking
lane, frontage road, drive way, cycle track, footpath, guard rails and
embankment slope.
6.8.1. PARKING LANE
A Parking Lane is an auxiliary lane bordering the travel way
intended for parking vehicles.
6.8.2. FRONTAGE ROADS
These are provided to give entrance along an important highway.
The frontage road may be run parallel to the pavement road and
isolated by separators.
6.8.3. DRIVE WAY
The drive way interconnects the highway with commercial
establishment like fuel stations service station, malls or restaurants.
6.8.4. CYCLE TRACK

A cycle track is an exclusive bike facility that combines the user
experience of a separated path with the on-street structure of a
customary bike lane. A cycle track is different from motor traffic and
distinct from the sidewalk. The minimum width of a cycle track is 2m
and it may be increased by 1m for each additional track.
6.8.5. FOOTPATH
A path for pedestrian to walk along. Footpath is simply sidewalk.
6.8.6. GUARD RAILS
These are provided at the edge of shoulder when the road is
constructed on a fill of height more than 3m to prevent the vehicle
from running of the highway.
6.8.7. SIDE SLOPES
Side slopes are the slopes provided of the side of earth work of the
road in embankment in cutting for its stability; side slopes in the road
are so design as to keep the earthwork firm in embankment or in
cutting.
6.9. WIDTH OF PAVEMENT OR CARRIAGE WAY
Carriage way is the width of roadway constructed for vehicular traffic.
Carriage way width is based on the width of traffic lane and number of lane
required. The numbers of lane required on a highway depends on the traffic

capacity of each lane. The lane width required is measured on the basic of
the width of vehicle and minimum side clearance required for safe drive.
6.10. SHOULDER
Shoulder are the portion of the road way between the outer edges of
carriage way & edges of top surface of embankment or inner edges of the
side drains in cutting. These are allocated along the road edge to use in an
emergency lane for vehicle required to be taken out of the pavement or
road way. Minimum width of shoulder 4.6m is advisable so that a vehicle
station at the side of the shoulder would have a clearance of about 1.85m
from the pavement edge.
6.11. KERBS
Kerbs are the borderline between the pavement & shoulders or
footpath.
7. WHY BUILD A ROAD?
The primary mean of transportation are roads. Modernization in all phases
of life demands modernization and growth of transport infrastructure, which
leads to faster and better flow of transport services. These provide human
access to different location. Various types of roads are constructed to fulfill

needs. Motorways are constructed to provide rapid and secure access
between significant cities. Highways are constructed to connect two or more
cities. Rural areas have different types of road to interconnect farm lands with
the city. Roads are the channel of life's activities. Roads make a critical
contribution to profitable development and progression and bring important
social benefits. They are vital significance in order to produce a nation grow and
develop. Roads open up more areas and motivate economic and social
progression. For those reasons, road infrastructure is the most valuable of all
public courier.

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5.

highway but not highway for the bridge”.

vulnerable to failure. Bridge is an expensive structure so there is no room for a

mistake. In order to avoid it we need to considerate the requirements to come

up with a sustainable bridge.

5.1. PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING

Preliminary engineering incorporates work, then throughout visits of

5.1.1. PREPARATION FOR SITE INVESTIGATION

Preparation for site investigation includes photography,

collecting maps, geological and hydrologic reports. Aerial

photographs are photographs of the ground from a raised position.

It is helpful in determining the strength of streams. Stable streams will

unstable streams may show changes in photographs taken during

geographic data like land, streams, watersheds, etc. Topographic

with wetlands or springs. County pats and other landownership

maps should be used to establish ownership of private lands where

the bridge may be located.

5.1.2. SITE WORK

Site works includes geotechnical investigation, site

undesirable and complicated soils or highly fractured shear

be avoided. Complex bridge sites require a thorough investigation

because of problems correlated with stream dynamics, floodplains,

disciplines will have to be deliberated.

The recommended site survey should be at least 300 ft

upstream and downstream from the proposed bridge site to

allocate enough stream reach information for a sufficient hydraulic

analysis. 150 ft on each side of the stream to supply adequate

on each side of the stream for the entire floodplain.

pavement system. The construction of embankments for highways can take

any common type of deposit aside from topsoil.

The sub-grade is compose of soils that have been specially prepared to

meet the requirements to support the other two layers.

The sub-grade is a selected soil material that is carefully compacted to

embankment or the native soil.

in the road pavement to move rapidly to the sub-drain without saturating

grade and is built of clean sand or rock.

and sub-grade. The sub-drain is basically a trench with a perforated pipe

near the lowest part. It is surrounded by clean coarse aggregates which

allows rapid passage of water.

6.6. RIGHT OF WAY

slope of cuttings and embankments, minimum sight distance on horizontal

possible future development.

Formation width is the sum of widths of carriage way or pavements,

shoulders and separators if any.

6.8. ROAD MARGINS

6.8.1. PARKING LANE

A Parking Lane is an auxiliary lane bordering the travel way

intended for parking vehicles.

6.8.2. FRONTAGE ROADS

These are provided to give entrance along an important highway.

6.8.3. DRIVE WAY

The drive way interconnects the highway with commercial

establishment like fuel stations service station, malls or restaurants.

6.8.4. CYCLE TRACK

experience of a separated path with the on-street structure of a

distinct from the sidewalk. The minimum width of a cycle track is 2m

and it may be increased by 1m for each additional track.

A path for pedestrian to walk along. Footpath is simply sidewalk.