What is a substructure and what are my options for a Railspan® bridge substructure?
We will often refer to a bridge’s ‘superstructure’ apart from its ‘substructure’. Simply put, the superstructure is the portion of the bridge that actually carries the load across the span. The substructure is the system of abutments, or bearing supports which is designed to adequately hold-up the superstructure without falling over, being undermined by the river, or sinking deeper into the ground. A typical bridge substructure might consist of one of the following systems.
