The pier of a bridge is an intermediate support that holds the deck of the structure. It is a massive and permanent support, as opposed to the shoring, which is lighter and provides temporary support. HistoryUntil the advent of concrete and the use of and then steel, bridges were made of masonry. Roman bridges were sturdy, semicircular, and rested on thick piers, with a width equal to about half the span of the. In masonry bridge piers, there is a resistant part and a filling part: • The periphery of the shafts over a certain thickness constitutes the resistant part, made of dressed stones in the angles and squared or. Most of the piers of modern bridges are made of reinforced concrete or prestressed concrete for larger structures. Two types of forms are mainly encountered: columns or walls. Each supp.
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