 A double-arch stone bridge in Nagasaki, Japan | |
| Ancestor | Clapper bridge |
|---|---|
| Descendant | Truss arch bridge, moon bridge (masonry) |
| Carries | Pedestrians, vehicles, light rail, heavy rail, water |
| Span range | short, but often set end-to-end to form a large total length |
| Material | masonry, concrete, wrought iron, cast iron, timber, structural steel |
| Movable | No |
| Design effort | Low |
| Falsework required | Yes |
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side, and partially into a vertical load on the arch supports. A viaduct (a long bridge) may be made from a series of arches, although other more economical structures are typically used today.