Bridges are among the metal structures whose strength is very important and vital. In other words, bridges are arteries that connect the two sides of a river, a valley, a street, and so on, and therefore must bear a lot of weight and load. In the distant past, bridges were all made of such bricks and materials, and in Iran you can see some of the oldest bridges that are still standing; But today these structures are reinforced with thick sheets of steel that are joined together with bolts. Just take a look at the stairs around you to find out the thickness and strength of the screws used in them. In the following, we will explain more about the use of bolts and nuts in bridge construction.
Application of Bolts and Nuts in Construction of Bridges
Types of bolts used in bridge construction
The most widely used parts in bridge construction are steel bolts with ASTM A490 standard and steel bolts or anchor bolts with ASTM A320, ASTM A325 and DTI standards. Of course, in some cases, HV washers can also be used on stairs. In the parts where more tension and load is applied to the bridge, different types of screws with DIN6914 and DIN6915 standards are also used.
Advantages of using Bolts in construction of Bridges
Today, in all industries, it is bolts as well as the nuts that has taken on the task of strengthening the parts, and the constructing bridges is no exception to this rule. In general, the excessive strength of bolts and nuts during vibration is the main reason for their use in the construction industry. However, welded structures show the least resistance in these cases.
In addition to the extraordinary strength of these parts, the current costs of the project, including labor costs, the cost of materials and raw materials, project working hours, etc. are significantly reduced, and this is in the interest of the contractor, the employer and the people whom their movement is secured by bridges; But the most important thing is the strength of the bolts made and selected. If a bridge is damaged by floods or earthquakes or has a short service life, there are several reasons for using bolts and nuts. The selected nuts and bolts may have been of poor quality, other than that the steel sheets may have been of poor quality or the bridge design may not have been in accordance with engineering principles. In the meantime, the poor quality of the parts is more important.