Bridge Construction: Basic Concept, Method and Its Advantages

Combination of construction and technology has proven to be highly beneficial. New techniques of construction developed by construction companies have considerably reduced the time required for construction of large structure. Various equipment and machines have made processes in construction easier and have also reduced risks.

Some structures are difficult to build and require more money. One such structure is a bridge. Constructing a bridge is both difficult and costly. Since bridge building techniques require some work to be carried out under the water, construction becomes especially difficult. Maintaining strength of a bridge is another important matter

Bridge construction has two parts: construction and bridge launching. Bridges consists of two parts: a horizontal framework and the pillars. The horizontal framework is mounted over the pillars hence, the pillars are considered as supporting structures. It is important that the pillars are strong enough to bear the weight of framework as well as the traffic that will make use of the bridge. The best option for constructing a strong foundation under water is making use of caissons. Caissons are used for two major purposes:

1. Dry Workspace: A water tight hole dug under water provides space for the construction work. It also prevents infiltration of the water inside workplace and therefore keeps the work space dry. Hence, there is no hindrance caused by water during construction. This method is also known as pneumatic.

2. Foundation: In case of bridges or dams caissons are used to build a foundation underwater. The holes dug by driller are further filled with concrete. This provides a strong and sustainable foundation.

Caisson launching is thus a boon for construction underwater. Other advantages of this method are:

1. Can be used in various working conditions, and hence this method is used for construction of different structures.

2. Strong and sturdy construction is provided by this method, which makes it preferable method for bridges.

3. Cost effective method as compared to traditional methods.

4. Less vibrations as compared to traditionally built foundations.

For launching of bridges and caissons, heavy lifting equipment is used. There are various bridge building companies, which provide these heavy lifting solutions. Bygging-Uddemann is one such company. They provide heavy lifting solutions that can be used for launching of bridges and for slipform constructions.