Arch bridge

Arch bridge

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. A viaduct (a long bridge) may be made from a series of arches, although other more economical structures are typically used today.