Chapter Eight – Truss Bridges

A truss acts like a beam but with its members subjected primarily to axial forces. In mechanics, a truss is generally defined as a structure of connected two-force members forming triangular units. The members are arranged in triangular patterns, and the forces are applied to only at both end points and adjacent members are connected at joints referred to as connections. For members in a truss, therefore, bending and torsion moments are generally explicitly excluded because all the joints are assumed as that only axial forces can be resisted and have no rotation freedoms. Truss bridge terminology, classifications and truss bridge design method are discussed in this chapter.