Temporary Bridge
Temporary Bridge
Temporary Bridge
DEFINITION:-
The temporary bridges are defined as the structures which are constructed to cross a river or
a stream in place of permanent works) Such bridges become useful when it is not possible to
construct a permanent bridge due to shortage of money, time, good materials or skilled
labour. The temporary bridges are often constructed on diversions during the reconstruction
of an existing permanent bridge. The useful life of a temporary bridge is estimated as about
10 years. In this chapter, the brief descriptions of the various types of the temporary bridges
will be given.
MATERIALS USED:-
The temporary bridges are generally constructed of timber. But it is possible to have
temporary bridges made of hemp ropes, old rails, old telegraph posts, steel wires, etc.
According to the Indian Roads Congress, all timber bridges are classified as temporary
structures. The timber used in the construction of temporary bridges should be well-seasoned
and free from any defects. It is also essential to have careful site inspection and control on the
workmanship during their construction. The wooden bridges are likely to be easily damaged
by fire or rot. The use of green timber should be avoided as it will shrink, lose weight, crack
and warp. The available sizes and lengths of individual timber pieces should also be kept in
mind as that would affect the spans for trestle bridges and panel lengths for trusses.
FASTENINGS USED:-
The fastenings which are used in the construction of temporary bridges are bolts and nuts
with washers, drift bolts, hemp or wire ropes, iron spikes, nails, screws and patented
connectors such as split rings, spike grids, etc. The bolts are to be provided with at least two
steel washers having diameter equal to at least 2.5 times than that of bolt. The drift bolt is a
round steel piece without head or point. The spikes should be driven in such a way that they
force their way into the connecting piece of timber. The patented connectors of different
designs are being used increasingly in the important temporary bridges.
The timber or temporary bridges can broadly be divided into the following three categories:
(1) Bridges with intermediate supports.
(2) Bridges without intermediate supports.
(3) Floating bridges.
Each of the above categories of bridges will now be briefly described.
(1) Crates.
(2) Cribs.
(4) Trestles.
(1) Crates: A crate consists of four vertical poles which are connected at top and bottom by
the horizontal members. The bottom is provided with planks and the sides are provided with
wire netting so as to form a tray like structure for filling brushwood and stones to keep the
crate in position. An inclined pole is sometimes provided on the upstream side to work as the
cutwater. Fig. shows the framework of a typical crate.
The crate is constructed on the river bank. It is provided with wire netting on all sides. It is
floated to the site and filled with us wood or stones.
(2) Cribs: A crib is a box and it essentially consists of a framework of horizontal timbers laid
in alternate courses. The bottom of crib is provided with planks. The pockets thus formed are
then filled up with stones to give stability to the crib against overturning and sliding. The
timber to be used in the construction of cribs may consist of rough logs or heavy lumber of
the old sleepers from the railway. Fig. shows a typical crib.
The cribs are useful as piers when the current of water is swift. They are constructed of cheap
materials and they do not require skilled labour for their construction. Thus, they are found to
be cheap and economical. The crib is constructed on the river bank. It is then floated on site
and filled up with stones till it rests on the bed or river. The width of crib should be equal to
the width of roadway plus 500 mm or so.
(3) Pile bents: A pile bent is a group of piles and the number of piles in pile bent will depend
on the load coming on the pier. The piles are of wood and they are driven sufficiently deep so
as to rest on firm ground. At suitable height, the piles are cut off and provided with pile cap
or transom as shown in fig. Suitable bracing may be provided as required. The pile bents are
useful for deep streams with soft bed material. It is found that the pile bents form strong and
stable piers.
(4) Trestles: The trestles may either be two-legged or three- legged or four-legged. A two-
legged wooden trestle is in common use. Fig. 8-4 shows a typical two-legged wooden trestle
to carry a live load of 8.40 kN per m, the centre to centre distance between the trestles being
4500 mm. A transom is fixed horizontally across the legs near their tops and a ledger is fixed
across the feet of legs. The diagonal braces are provided in between transom and ledger. Such
a construction grants the stability to the trestle against spreading and sinking. The three-
legged trestles are adopted when the river bed consists of mud. But they are not suitable for
uneven bottom surfaces of river bed. It also proves difficult to place them in position. The
four-legged trestles, when placed at tarsals, grant longitudinal stability to a two-legged long
bridge. But they are heavy structures and hence, they are difficult to place in position. The
trestles are useful as piers when the height does not exceed 6 m or so and when the bed of
river consists of fairly fairly and level ground. For dry beds or rivers with shallow depth of
water, the trestles are constructed at site. Otherwise they are constructed on the river banks
and carried on the boats to the site and lowered down in position.
The process of arranging the layers is continued till a gap of width about 4 m to 6 m remains.
The gap is covered with the help of the road bearers to complete the bridge. The road surface
is given suitable finish.
The timber cantilever bridges are very much useful and economical in the hilly areas where
the timber is easily available and traffic is light. Following are the advantages of the timber
cantilever bridges:
A) It is possible to increase the load bearing capacity of the bridges by providing timber poles
and wire ties as shown in fig.
B) No costly constructional materials are required in the construction of the bridges.
C) No skilled labour or supervision is necessary during the construction of the bridges.
(2) Suspension bridges: For crossing small streams or valleys, the timber suspension bridges
may be provided in the hilly area. The bridges can take up light traffic and they are usually
not stiffened. Following are the three types of timber suspension bridges:
i. Ramp Bridge.
ii. Sling bridge.
iii. Trestle suspension bridge.
(i)Ramp bridge: In case of a ramp bridge, the roadway rests on cables as shown in fig. 8-6.
As the bridge is connected with the banks by ramps or sloping lengths, it is known as Ramp
Bridge.
The bridge floor is provided with wooden planks. This type of bridge proves to be cheap in
cost because it requires small quantities of materials and can be completed in short time with
unskilled labour. The only disadvantage of this type of bridge is that it does not possess
stiffness and hence, it is distorted when the traffic moves over it.
(ii)Sling bridge: In case of a sling bridge, the roadway is supported on rope slings or cables.
The bridge floor consists of wooden planks which are supported at their ends on wooden
beams. On either side of roadway, a wooden beam is provided. The wooden beam is
connected to the cable through suspenders as shown in fig. 8-7. The cables are taken over the
towers and they are then suitably anchored into the ground. The bridge railing is fixed to the
suspenders. The load from the bridge floor is transferred to the wooden beam and it is
conveyed to the cables through the suspenders. This is the common type of temporary
suspension bridge.
(iii) Trestle suspension bridge: In case of a trestle suspension bridge, the cable supports the
trestles as shown in fig.
The trestle suspension bridge does not distort under traffic, but its weight is comparatively
more.
(3) Trusses: For long span timber bridges, the trusses are employed and with the help of
timber trusses, it is possible to construct timber bridges for spans up to 14 m to 18 m. Fig. 8-9
to fig. 8-12 show some of the timber trusses.
Fig. 8-9 shows a king-post truss and it is useful for the through type bridges.
Fig. 8-10 shows a trussed beam with one strut and fig. 8-11 shows a trussed beam with two
struts. Such trusses are useful for the deck type bridges.
Fig. 8-12 shows a wooden girder which can be used for spans up to 18 m. For connecting
wooden members, the steel plates are employed and for taking tensile stresses, the steel rods
are provided.
8.7 FLOATING BRIDGES:-
In case of floating bridges, the superstructure of bridge is supported on floating supports and
hence, a modern floating bridge essentially consists of the following two parts:
The floating supports are placed at regular intervals along the bridge with their main axis
parallel to the current of the river and they are designed in such a way that they possess
enough buoyancy to take up the live load on the bridge. The spacing of pontoons should
neither be too close nor too far. In the former case, there will be obstruction to the floating
debris in the river and it may cause danger to the safety of bridge. In the later case, the sizes
of members of the superstructure will become uneconomical. Hence, the design should aim at
appropriate spacing of pontoons to achieve the maximum benefits with the minimum cost.
Sufficient anchorage should be provided to the pontoons on upstream and downstream sides
so as to maintain the alignment of bridge against the river currents.
The superstructure provides the roadway and when all parts are connected, it forms a
continuous member. The load of vehicle moving on the bridge is conveyed to the pontoons
on either side of the roadway.
Following are the advantages of the floating bridges over the fixed bridges:
A)It is possible to construct, use and dismantle a floating bridge between sunset and sunrise.
Such facility proves to be extremely useful in war time to cross the streams or rivers without
the knowledge of the enemy.
B)They can be built at places where it is not possible to place crib or piers.
C)They can be constructed speedily. As a matter of fact, these bridges can be assembled and
used during hours of darkness and can be dismantled before sunrise. They are thus less
vulnerable to enemy attack than the fixed bridges.
Following are the situations which are considered favourable for the construction of floating
bridges:
A) To accommodate the temporary traffic during festivals in the holy river bed.
B) To facilitate the movement of army across stream, lake or river during war times.
C)To serve the locality where the traffic is minor and seasonal and the river itself is subjected
to floods during short periods only, not exceeding 3 months of the year, when the traffic on
the road can safely be suspended.
D) To serve the purpose of a permanent bridge, except during monsoon, at places where it is
not possible to put up a permanent bridge for lack of funds or some such reasons:
E) To transport men and materials for the construction work of the permanent bridges; etc.
Depending on the type of floating support, the floating bridges are of the following three
categories:
1)Boat bridges: In case of a boat bridge, the superstructure of bridges is supported on the
boats. The boats are longitudinally connected by the trussed beams which are known as the
gunwales At the outer edges of boats, the gunwale pieces are provided to act as bearing plates
for gunwales as shown in fig. 8- 13. The transverse wooden planks are laid over the gunwales
to form the roadway.
To impart rigidity and safety to the bridge, the following precautions are taken:
(A) The boats may be provided with anchors on upstream side and downstream side.
(B) The complete bridge is stiffened by providing two longitudinal cables which run along
the outer edges of boats.
(C) The two gunwale pieces of the same boat are connected together with the help of crossed
beams.
(D) The two sides of the roadway are provided with parapet of steel or wooden poles with
steel chain or rope passing through them.
2) Pontoon bridges: A pontoon bridge is similar to a boat bridge except that the pontoons are
used in place of boats as supports of the bridge. A pontoon is a boat with flat bottom and in
recent application, inflatable rubber pontoons have been used in place of the conventional
wooden or metal barges. The pontoon bridges are used as the temporary bridges across wide
rivers. The pontoon bridges are superior to the boat bridges and they can carry more load as
compared to the boat bridges. But the cost of pontoon bridges is comparatively more.
3) Raft bridges: A raft bridge indicates a bridge made of rafts. A raft is a flat floating mass
of wooden logs. Thus, the superstructure of a raft bridge is similar to a boat bridge. The
substructure consists of barrels or casks which are connected to the gunwales at their tops.
The raft bridge is, therefore, sometimes referred to as the barrel bridge. A barrel or cask is a
hollow metal drum which is floating in the water. The long spars may be laid across the top
of barrels or casks to maintain them in line. Fig. 8-14 shows a raft bridge.
In addition to the above usual types of the temporary bridges, sometimes the unit-type
construction or Bailey bridges are also adopted. The superstructures of these bridges are
normally made up of assemblable units which can be carried in units, assembled and
launched in a short period over a gap. The unit-type construction bridges are useful under the
following circumstances:
A)The damage has occurred to a permanent bridge due to the approaches or even a part of the
bridge is damaged leaving a wide gap.
B)The traffic has been suspended and the permanent repairs to the bridge are likely to take a
long time.