Bridge design
| Part of a series on |
| Bridges |
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| Basic structures |
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| Movable |
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| Other forms and types |
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| Record sizes |
When designing a bridge to traverse a specific obstacle, the designer must identify a design that meets several requirements. The requirements may be categorized as engineering requirements and non-engineering requirements. Engineering requirements include safety, strength, lifespan, climate, traffic, the size and nature of the obstacle to be traversed, and clearance required for passage underneath.
Non-engineering requirements include construction cost, maintenance cost, aesthetics, time available for construction, customer preference, and experience of the builders. Other factors that may be weighed include impact to environment and wildlife; and the bridge's economic, social, and historic relationship to the local community.
Several designs may meet the requirements. After considering all factors, the bridge designer – in consultation with the customer – will select a particular design. The value engineering methodology can be used to select a final design from multiple alternatives. This methodology evaluates candidate designs based on weighted scores assigned to several different criteria, such as: cost, service life, durability, availability of resources, ease of construction, construction time, and maintenance cost.