A plate beam is made of steel plates bolted or welded together to build a beam larger than a steel mill can make. It is used for bridges, especially railway bridges, and has vertical ribs for structural rigidity. It can be combined with concrete for added strength.
A plate beam is a type of beam made up of steel plates bolted or welded together. The purpose of the sheet metal beam is to build a beam larger than anything a steel mill or factory can build. This type of beam is usually used to make certain types of bridges, and the beams themselves are most often in the shape of an I-beam. The size and shape of the beam allows builders to build bridges that are much longer and heavier than bridges built with other projects.
The most common application for a sheet girder is the construction of railway bridges. Plate girder bridges are required for railroad use because the engines and cars passing over the bridge will be exceptionally heavy, meaning the bridge will need to be heavy enough to support the weight. The plates are welded or bolted together in a specific configuration for optimum strength and reliability, and while these spans are not likely to be exceptionally long, they will be strong enough to accommodate railway use. I-beams are less likely to be used in this design in favor of box beams, which have four walls to enclose the beam.
Along the length of the sheet metal beam, vertical pieces of steel called ribs are welded into place to add structural rigidity. These ribs help the beams resist buckling or other damage caused by the weight or movement of the bridge under load. The spacing of the ribs can vary according to the length of the span and the purpose of the structure, although it is likely that there are numerous ribs on a single span. Additional supports can be welded in areas of the bridge where excess forces are likely to occur. These may not be spaced as evenly as other ribs will be.
In some cases, the plate girder bridge can be constructed in combination with other materials such as concrete. This composite deck is durable and can adapt to tough building situations. The deck of the bridge can be wood or concrete, or it can simply be just the railroad ties. If the bridge will span a long length, or if the bridge spans a stream, the concrete piers can support the weight of the bridge, and the beams themselves will be bolted to the concrete for added strength and stiffness.
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