Bridge-Related Works

a complex of structures and earthworks erected in the construction of a road over a watercourse. It includes the bridge itself, the embankments for its approaches, regulating structures (mainly dikes) to provide smooth water flow through the opening in the bridge without causing abrupt local increases in the velocity of the current, and the shore reinforcement works (retaining and protective walls, gabions, and so on), which prevent erosion of the banks and approach embankments. The selection of a site for a bridge crossing, the determination of the size of the bridge opening, and the design of works for regulating the flow of the river and reinforcing the shores are done on the basis of surveys that include detailed description of the topography of the region, a study of the hydrological conditions, and the collection of data on the properties of the earth in the riverbed.