Question

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using steel instead of concrete to construct a bridge?

explain in full detail any constraint involved

Answer 1

There are many advantages when we use steel in place of concrete in bridge construction, and every material has some defect so, steel also has some disadvantages. We will list out all the points here.

Advantages

• Steel is flexible in nature so, it allows adjustment in  span length and curvature according to our requirement
• Steel has a higher strength for a unit mass, whereas concrete has lower strength. Therefore, if we are using steel in the bridge construction we are getting high strength and lightweight structure
• Production of steel is done in a huge amount and the required section of steel can be made easily at fabrication shops. It can be transported conveniently to the construction site.
• Steel is durable also and during construction use of steel in place of concrete is less time-consuming.

Disadvantages

• The location of fabrication shops plays a major role while choosing steel as a construction material. It is not necessary that shops are nearby always.
• Corrosion is also a  problem in steel so it required maintenance such as painting or using the anti-corrosive materials regularly.
• Concrete has better fire resistance than steel. So during fire, steel is not that effective.