Vineyard Bridge - Wooden Valley, California
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Willow Creek Bridge - Jenner, California
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Bridge Projects
Morris Engineering and J.S. Morris Construction, Inc. have designed and built numerous bridge construction projects involving various superstructures (Pre-cast/pre-stressed concrete, steel beam, railcar, steel truss, and concrete cast-in-place girders) and substructures (steel, precast concrete and Cast-In-Drilled-Hole piles, and concrete spread footings). We've also used tie-back piles for abutment walls and wingwalls. The following pages breifly explain some of the superstructure and substructure options.
General Bridge Information
There are two basic components of a bridge structure, the substructure and the superstructure.
The substructure consists of the foundation below the ground and extends up to the superstructure. The substructure includes the abutments which typically consist of piles (concrete or steel) and pile caps or concrete spread footings; abutement walls (varying in height); and sometimes wingwalls.
The superstructure is the component of the structure that spans between the abutments. Typically, the superstructure consists of beam or truss girders made from concrete or steel. Each material has advantages and disadvantages for use as a bridge superstructure. Steel and concrete have a longer useful life while wood tends to deteriorate more quickly. Many other factors dictate the preferred design material including site location and/or conditions, span length, types of loading, clearance, and costs. Steel tends to be lighter than concrete and may be preferred for this reason. However for long bridges, prestressed concrete often competes closely with steel.
The substructure consists of the foundation below the ground and extends up to the superstructure. The substructure includes the abutments which typically consist of piles (concrete or steel) and pile caps or concrete spread footings; abutement walls (varying in height); and sometimes wingwalls.
The superstructure is the component of the structure that spans between the abutments. Typically, the superstructure consists of beam or truss girders made from concrete or steel. Each material has advantages and disadvantages for use as a bridge superstructure. Steel and concrete have a longer useful life while wood tends to deteriorate more quickly. Many other factors dictate the preferred design material including site location and/or conditions, span length, types of loading, clearance, and costs. Steel tends to be lighter than concrete and may be preferred for this reason. However for long bridges, prestressed concrete often competes closely with steel.
