Standard Specifications For

Roads And Railways Bridges

Standard Specifications For Roads And Railways Bridges

• Indian Road Congress (IRC:6) published in 1958 and subsequent

reprint in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 2000, 2014 and 2017.
• IRC bridge codes consist of Eight Sections
(1) Section I - General features of design (IRC 5: 2015)
(2) Section II - Loads and stresses (IRC 6: 2017)
(3) Section III - Cement concrete (plain and reinforced) (IRC 21:2000)
(4) Section IV - Brick, stone and block masonry (IRC 40: 2002)
(5) Section V - Steel road bridges (IRC 24 : 2010)
(6) Section VI - Composite construction (IRC 22 : 2015)
(7) Section VII - Foundations and substructure (IRC 78 : 2014)
(8) Section IX – Bearings (IRC 83:2014)
Width of Carriage way
• The width of carriageway required will depend on
the intensity and volume of traffic anticipated to
use the bridge.
• The width of carriageway is expressed in terms of
traffic lanes, each lane meaning the width required
to accommodate one train of Class A vehicles.
• Except on minor village roads, all bridges must
provide for at least two-lane width.
• The minimum width of carriageway is 4.25 m for a
one-lane bridge and 7.5 m for a two-lane bridge.
• For every additional lane, a minimum of 3.5 m
must be. allowed.
Clearances for Highway Bridges
• The horizontal and vertical clearances
required for highway traffic are given in
Fig.,
• For a bridge constructed on a horizontal
curve with super-elevated surface, the
minimum vertical clearance is to be
measured from the super-elevated level
of the roadway.
• The horizontal clearance should be
increased on the inner side of the curve
by an amount equal to 5 m multiplied by
the super-elevation.
Loads to be Considered
(a) Dead load (i) Centrifugal forces due to curvature
(b) Live load (j) Horizontal forces due to water currents
(c) Snow load (k) Buoyancy
(d) Impact or dynamic effect due to (I) Earth pressure, including live load
vehicles surcharge
(e) Impact due to floating bodies or (m) Temperature effects
vessels (n) Deformation effects
(f) Wind load (o) Secondary effects
(g) Longitudinal forces caused by the (p) Erection stresses
tractive effort of vehicles or by braking (q) Forces and effects due to earthquake
of vehicles
(r) Grade effect (for design of bearings for
(h) Longitudinal forces due to frictional bridges built in grade or cross fall)
resistance of expansion bearings
(s) Wave pressure.
 Dead Load
• The dead load carried by a bridge
member consists of its own weight and
the portions of the weight of the
superstructure and any fixed loads
supported by the member.

• As a guide in estimating the dead loads,

the unit weights of materials may be
assumed as given in Table 3.1.
 IRC Standard Live Loads
• Live loads are those caused by vehicles which pass over the bridge and are transient in
nature. These loads cannot be estimated precisely, and the designer has very little control
over them once the bridge is opened to traffic. However, hypothetical loadings which are
reasonably realistic need to be evolved and specified to serve as design criteria.
There are five types of standard loadings for which road bridges are designed as per IRC 6.
(a) IRC Class AA Loading
(b) IRC Class 70R Loading:
(c) IRC Class A Loading
(d) IRC Class B Loading
(e) IRC Class Special Vehicle (Sv) Loading (updated in IRC:6-2017 version)
IRC Standard Live Loads (IRC: 6-2017)
Types of Vehicles
IRC Class AA Loading
• This loading consists of either a tracked vehicle
of 700 kN or a wheeled vehicle of 400 kN with
dimensions as shown in Fig.
• The tracked vehicle simulates a combat tank
used by the army. The ground contact length of
the track is 3.6 m and the nose to tail length of
the vehicle is 7.2 m.
• The nose to tail spacing between two successive
vehicles shall not be less than 90 m.
• For two-lane bridges and culverts, one train of
Class AA tracked or wheeled vehicles whichever
creates severer conditions shall be considered
for every two-lane width.
IRC Class AA Loading
• No other live load shall be considered on any
part of the above two-lane carriageway when
the Class AA train of vehicles is on the bridge.
• The Class AA loading is to be adopted for
bridges located within certain specified
municipal localities and along specified
highways.
• Normally, structures on National Highways are
provided for these loadings.
• Structures designed for Class AA loading should
also be checked for Class A loading, since under
certain conditions, severer stresses may be
obtained under Class A loading.
IRC Class 70R Loading
• This loading was originally included in the Appendix to the
bridge code for use for rating of existing bridges.

• In recent years, there is an increasing tendency to specify this

loading in place of Class AA loading.

• This loading consists of a tracked vehicle of 700 kN or a

wheeled vehicle of total load of 1000 kN.

• The tracked vehicle is similar to that of Class AA except that

the contact length of the track is 4.57 m, the nose to tail
length of the vehicle is 7.92 m and the specified minimum
spacing between successive vehicles is 30 m.

• The wheeled vehicle is 15.22 m long and has seven axles with
loads totaling to 1000 kN.
IRC Class 70R Loading
• In addition, the effects on the bridge
components due to a bogie loading of 400 kN
are also to be checked.
• The dimensions of the Class 70R loading
vehicles are shown in Fig.
• The specified spacing between vehicles is
measured from the rear-most point of ground
contact of the leading vehicle to the forward-
most point of ground contact of the following
vehicle in case of tracked vehicles;
• For wheeled vehicles, it is measured from the
centre of the rear-most wheel of the leading
vehicle to the centre of the first axle of the
following vehicle.
IRC Class A Loading
• Class A loading consists of a heavy duty truck with two trailers
transmit loads from 8 axles varying from a minimum of 27 kN to a
maximum of 114kN.
• The class A loading is a 554 kN train of wheeled vehicle on eight axle.
• The nose to tail spacing between two successive trains shall not be
less than 18.5 m.
• The ground contact area for the different wheels and the minimum
specified clearances are indicated in the figure.
• Class A loading is to be normally adopted on all roads on which
permanent bridges and culverts are constructed.
IRC Class A Loading
IRC Class A Loading

Figure IRC Class A and B Loadings.

IRC Class B Loading
• Class B loading comprises a wheel load train similar to that of Class A
loading but with smaller axle loads as shown in Fig.
• The axle loads of class B are a 332 kN train of wheeled vehicle on eight
axles as shown in Fig.
• This loading is intended to be adopted for temporary structures, timber
bridges and for bridges in specified areas.
• The standard loads are to be arranged in such a manner as to produce the
severest bending moment or shear at any section considered.
• The loading vehicles are to be aligned so as to travel parallel to the length
of the bridge.
• Clause 207.4 of the Code specifies the combination of live load to be
considered for single lane and multi-lane bridges.
Impact Factors
Impact Factors
Impact Factors
Wind Load
• All bridge structures should be designed for the wind forces.
• Though the wind forces are dynamic in nature, the forces can be
approximated as equivalent static loads.
• These forces are considered to act horizontally and in such a direction as to
cause the maximum stresses in the member under consideration.
• The intensity of wind force is taken from Table 3.2. These values are to be
doubled for the Kathiawar Peninsula and the coastal regions of West
Bengal and Orissa.
• It may be noted that the velocity and wind pressure increase non-linearly
with the height above the ground or water level.
Wind Load
Longitudinal Forces
Longitudinal forces are caused in road bridges due to any one or more
of the following:
(a) Tractive effort caused through acceleration of the driving wheels;
(b) Braking effect due to application of brakes to the wheels;
(c) Frictional resistance offered to the movement of free bearings due
to change of temperature or any other cause.
Centrifugal Forces
Where a road bridge is located on a curve, the effects of centrifugal
forces due to movement of vehicles should be taken into account.
The centrifugal force is given by Equation.
Horizontal Forces Due to Water Currents
• Any part of a bridge structure which may be submerged in running
water should be designed to sustain safely the horizontal pressure
due to the force of the current.
• On piers parallel to the direction of the water current, the intensity of
pressure is given by Equation
Buoyancy Effect
• Wherever submersion in water of a part or whole of a structure is
possible, the forces due to buoyancy should be considered.
• In the case of submersible bridges, full buoyancy should be
considered for the superstructure, piers and abutments.
• For high level bridges, buoyancy forces due to submerged part of the
substructure and foundations should be taken into account.
• For the piers submerged in water and for foundations in sand, full
buoyancy is allowed.
• For other soils, a suitable proportion may be assumed.
Earth Pressure
Temperature Effects
• Daily and seasonal variations in temperature occur causing material
to shorten with a fall in temperature and lengthen with a rise in
temperature.
• These variations have two components: a uniform change over the
entire bridge deck and a temperature gradient caused by the
difference in temperatures at the top and the bottom of the deck.

Expansion joint
Deformation Stresses
• Deformation stresses are considered for steel
bridges only.
• A deformation stress is defined as the bending
stress in any member of an open-web girder caused
by the vertical deflection of the girder combined
with the rigidity of the joints.
• The design, manufacture and erection of steel
bridges should be so arranged as to keep the
deformation stresses to a minimum.
• If detailed computations are not made to provide
otherwise, the deformation stresses should be
assumed to be not less than 16 % of the dead and
live load stresses.
open-web girder
Secondary Stresses
• In steel structures, secondary stresses are caused due to eccentricity of
connections, lateral wind loads on the end posts of through girders, and
movement of supports.
• Secondary stresses are brought into play in reinforced concrete structures
due either to the movement of supports or to the deformations in the
geometrical shape of the structure or its member, or restrictive shrinkage
of concrete floor beams.
• For reinforced concrete members, the shrinkage coefficient for design
purposes may be taken as 0.0002.
• All bridges should be designed and constructed in such a manner that the
secondary stresses are reduced to a minimum and these stresses should be
allowed for in the design.
Erection Stresses
• The stresses that are likely to be induced in members during erection
should be considered in design.
• It is possible that the erection stresses may by different from those
which the member will be subjected to in actual service.

Bridge erection Crane

Seismic Forces
• If a bridge is located in a region subject to earthquake, allowance
should be made in the design for the seismic force, and earthquake
resistant features should be incorporated in the structural details of
design.
• The seismic force is considered a function of the dead weight of the
structure, ground motion during earthquake, period of vibration of
the bridge and the type of soil.
Vehicle Collision Loads
• The piers and their foundations should be designed to withstand the
collision loads.
• The collision load may be taken as 1000 kN when acting parallel to
the carriageway and 500 kN when acting normal to the carriageway.
Indian Railway Bridge Standards
Indian Railway Bridge Standards

Racking force is a lateral force produced due to the lateral movement of rolling stocks in
railway bridges.
Indian Railway Bridge Standards