Arch bridge

This article is about the structure type. For specific bridges with this name, see Arch Bridge (disambiguation).

Arch bridge

A double-arch stone bridge in Nagasaki, Japan
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 this bridge and its loads partially as horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either end, and partially as vertical loads 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.