Truss bridges are a pretty common phenomenon in architecture and engineering. They are a widely used product and are an extremely important part of designing bridges, houses, etc.
In this article, we are going to understand the pros of truss bridges, the cons of a truss bridge, the advantages of truss bridges, and the disadvantages of truss bridges.
Let us begin with understanding the advantages of a truss bridge, or the pros of a truss bridge.
Advantages of Truss Bridges And Pros of Truss Bridges
The important point about what makes types of truss bridges advantageous is the fact that they can span up to large lengths and can carry a heavy load of weight.
1. High Amount of Strength
Truss bridges are extremely famous for their capacity to interconnect with triangular structures in the truss. This gives them a lot of strength to be able to withstand heavier and more dynamic loads. This feature makes truss bridges extremely ideal for areas with populations that are dense and railroad crossings. This is because truss bridges have the ability and capacity to carry heavy loads.
2. Ease of Construction
Truss bridges are extremely popular in the world and this is because it has the versatility to be able to be constructed in places where it is difficult. These may include locations like the ones that require a long span of areas, maybe something like, sea trenches.
These truss bridge structures can be built in different due to their flexibility to be able to be built in different locations with varying depths and widths. They can be built-in ease in the locations like mountainous regions or even over railway lines.
3. Materials Are Used Efficiently
We all know truss is made up of a lot of parts that are interlinked to help in formulating the structure, the use of materials in the making of truss bridges is done very efficiently. Due to the way the truss bridge is designed, it makes good use of the restricted amount of material and is, therefore, all the material is used efficiently.
4. No Span Restrictions
One of the most impressive features of a truss bridge is that it can be built over any span of distance, ranging from short to long distances. This type of bridge can be installed in any type of location due to its ability to be flexible in its design.
Disadvantages of Truss Bridges or Cons Of Truss Bridges
The following are the disadvantages of truss bridge or cons of truss bridge:
1. High Maintenance
This is a large load-bearing structure and requires a lot of maintenance in detail. Every part of the bridge is significant as everything is interconnected and therefore, you must pay extra attention while maintaining the bridge.
2. Takes Up A Lot of Space
This is the biggest disadvantage of truss bridges. They take up a lot of space. Therefore, installing a simple truss bridge may not be the right thing to do in certain areas.
3. The Structure Is Extremely Heavy
The truss bridge is composed of a lot of materials and takes a lot of space and therefore, is very heavy. Sometimes, you may need to make some changes to support this weight.
So, these were the advantages and disadvantages, and pros and cons of truss bridges.