Vierendeel bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Vierendeel bridge | |
|---|---|
| Image:Grammene-vierendeelbridge 20030618.jpg | |
| Vierendeel bridge at Grammene, Belgium | |
| Ancestor | Truss bridge |
| Related | None |
| Descendant | None |
| Carries | Pedestrians, pipelines, automobiles, trucks, light rail, heavy rail |
| Span range | Short to medium |
| Material | steel, reinforced concrete, post-stressed concrete |
| Movable | Movable bridges of this type are very rare. Only one swing bridge of this type is known [1] |
| Design effort | High (computer analysis required) |
| Falsework required | Depends upon length, materials, and degree of prefabrication |
A Vierendeel bridge is a bridge employing a Vierendeel truss. Such trusses do not have the usual trianglular voids seen in a pin–joint truss bridge, rather employing rectangular openings and rigid connections in the elements, which (unlike a conventional truss) must also resist substantial bending forces. Owing to a lesser economy of materials this truss is rarely used in a bridge, although common in some building structures where large shear walls or diagonal elements would interfere with the desired design statement or functionality.
The first such bridge was built in steel at Avelgem in Belgium in 1902, following development of the truss form in 1896 by Arthur Vierendeel.
