Concrete bridges are a type of bridge, constructed out of concrete. They started to appear widely in the early 20th century.
Unreinforced concrete has been used in bridge construction since antiquity: the Romans incorporated concrete cores into a number of their masonry bridges and aqueducts, along with constructing spanning water conduits of concrete. [1] [2] [3] From the late 18th century cast iron framed bridges may have had an unreinforced cast concrete deck, or had their structure encased in concrete, for example the Homersfield Bridge, constructed between 1869 and 1870, between the English counties of Suffolk and Norfolk. [4] In 1873, Frenchman Joseph Monier obtained a French patent for a method of iron-wire reinforced concrete bridge construction; [5] his first iron-wire reinforced concrete bridge was constructed across the moat of the marquis de Tillièrein's fr:Château de Chazelet, in 1875. [6] [7] This and all later bridges made according to Monier's system patterned[ clarification needed ] the construction of previously used stone bridges. Their main structural unit was an arch barrel. All barrel sections were reinforced similarly, regardless of the forces acting on it.
The longest steel reinforced bridge, in 2024, is the 600 metres (2,000 ft) Tian'e Longtan Bridge, Guangxi Zhuang, China. [8]
The US's longest unreinforced concrete span, is the 200 feet (61 m) arch of the, 1910, Rocky River Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio. [9]
Early extant examples include:
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridges, which lack vertical suspenders, have a long history in many mountainous parts of the world.
The ancient Romans were the first civilization to build large, permanent bridges. Early Roman bridges used techniques introduced by Etruscan immigrants, but the Romans improved those skills, developing and enhancing methods such as arches and keystones. There were three major types of Roman bridge: wooden, pontoon, and stone. Early Roman bridges were wooden, but by the 2nd century stone was being used. Stone bridges used the arch as their basic structure, and most used concrete, the first use of this material in bridge-building.
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct may be made from a series of arches, although other more economical structures are typically used today.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, more commonly known as the Key Bridge, is a six-lane reinforced concrete arch bridge carrying U.S. Route 29 (US 29) across the Potomac River between the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia, and the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1923, it is Washington's oldest surviving road bridge across the Potomac River.
Navigable aqueducts are bridge structures that carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railways or roads. They are primarily distinguished by their size, carrying a larger cross-section of water than most water-supply aqueducts. Roman aqueducts were used to transport water and were created in Ancient Rome. The 662-metre (2,172 ft) long steel Briare aqueduct carrying the Canal latéral à la Loire over the River Loire was built in 1896. It was ranked as the longest navigable aqueduct in the world for more than a century, until the Magdeburg Water Bridge in Germany took the title in the early 21st century.
The Alvord Lake Bridge was the first reinforced concrete bridge built in America. It was built in 1889 by Ernest L. Ransome, an innovator in reinforced concrete design, mixing equipment, and construction systems. The bridge was constructed as a single arch 64 feet (20 m) wide with a 20-foot (6.1 m) span.
Joseph Monier was a French gardener and one of the principal inventors of reinforced concrete.
The Hampden County Memorial Bridge is a reinforced-concrete arch bridge that spans the Connecticut River between Springfield, Massachusetts and West Springfield, Massachusetts, constructed in 1922. The bridge is owned by Massachusetts Highway Department and is located on Massachusetts Route 147. It spans 209 feet (64 m) and rises 29.71 feet (9.06 m) above the river.
Stanley Ferry Aqueduct was built between 1836 and 1839 to take the Aire and Calder Navigation over the River Calder in West Yorkshire, England. It is one of the earliest through arch bridges in the world and is considered to be the longest span aqueduct executed in cast iron.
The history of structural engineering dates back to at least 2700 BC when the step pyramid for Pharaoh Djoser was built by Imhotep, the first architect in history known by name. Pyramids were the most common major structures built by ancient civilizations because it is a structural form which is inherently stable and can be almost infinitely scaled.
The Armagh Street Park Bridge, also known as the Park Bridge, College Bridge and Armagh Street Hagley Bridge, is located in Christchurch, New Zealand. The structure, built in 1885, spans the Avon River / Ōtākaro at Park Terrace and leads into Hagley Park. The bridge is registered as a Category II heritage structure with Heritage New Zealand.
Monier Ventilation Shaft 3 is a heritage-listed ventilation shaft at Florence Street, Teneriffe, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Joseph Monier and built c. 1904. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 4 August 1998.
The Barwon Sewer Aqueduct is a heritage-listed aqueduct across the Barwon River at Goat Island, Breakwater, Victoria, Australia. It was designed by engineer E. G. Stone and was erected between 1913-1915. It would appear to be the only one of its kind in Australia in terms of its length and the use of Considère's construction technique. The aqueduct appears to be the last example in Australia of Armand Considère's system of reinforcing for concrete structures. It was added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 23 October 1991.
Monier Ventilation Shaft 1 is a heritage-listed ventilation shaft at 500 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Joseph Monier and built c. 1904. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 4 August 1998.
Monier Ventilation Shaft 2 is a heritage-listed ventilation shaft at 134 St Paul's Terrace, Spring Hill, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Joseph Monier and built c. 1904. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 4 August 1998.
The Cooks River Sewage Aqueduct is a heritage-listed sewage aqueduct located at Pine Street, Earlwood, New South Wales, Australia. It crosses the Cooks River to Thornley Street, Marrickville. It was designed by Sewerage Construction Branch and NSW Department of Public Works and built during 1895 by J. F. Carson, contractor. The property is owned by Sydney Water, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 18 November 1999.
The Wolli Creek Aqueduct is a heritage-listed sewage aqueduct located at Unwin Street, Earlwood, City of Canterbury-Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia.
White's Creek Aqueduct is a heritage-listed sewage aqueduct at Piper Street, Lilyfield, Inner West Council, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by engineer William Julius Baltzer of the New South Wales Public Works Department and built by the Department from 1897 to 1898. The property is owned by Sydney Water. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 18 November 1999.
Johnston's Creek Sewer Aqueduct is a heritage-listed sewage aqueduct located in Hogan Park, off Taylor Street, Annandale, Inner West Council, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by William Julius Baltzer, an engineer in the NSW Public Works Department, and built by the Department in 1897. The property is owned by Sydney Water. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 18 November 1999.