Truss Bridge

truss bridge [′trəs ‚brij]

(civil engineering)

A fixed bridge consisting of members vertically arranged in a triangular pattern.

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Truss Bridge 

a fixed bridge whose design is a rigid framework. In truss bridges, the roadway and truss members are rigidly interconnected. The truss members take up the longitudinal compressive forces and bending moments, thereby reducing the forces in the beams and allowing the use of lower verticals. Truss bridges are constructed for the most part of reinforced concrete, either cast in situ or precast, and only rarely of steel. Small truss bridges are commonly used for overbridges, where, in many cases, the truss members are arranged diagonally. This design ensures good visibility for the drivers and the safe passage of automobile traffic beneath the overbridge. Truss bridges with long spans are generally erected in the form of T-shaped frames. The cross section of the roadway on small bridges may be ribbed, boxlike, or solid (in the form of a slab). On large bridges, the beams used generally have a boxlike cross section.