Vierendeel bridge

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Vierendeel bridge
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, prestressed 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.


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