BRIDGE BASICS

WHAT IS A BRIDGE?
The purpose of a bridge is to get people and their belongings from one side of an EXPANSE (a depression or obstacle) to the other. The expanse can be a landform, like a valley, a street, a river or lake, etc. Bridges can be for cars, trains, busses, bikes, or pedestrians (people walking).

TYPES OF BRIDGES
There are many types of bridges. The type chosen depends on materials available, size of the expanse, objects to go across, and more. The main 3 types of bridges are beam, arch, and suspension.

BEAM BRIDGES
Beam bridges are a single beam across an expanse supported by piers. Piers can be used at points in the middle of the span (distance across), between the end piers. Beam bridges usually arent used for spans of more than about 250 feet.

ARCH BRIDGES
Arch bridges offer natural strength. While theyre being built, they are very unstable. But once the spans are connected, they become very strong.

SUSPENSION BRIDGES
These are complex modern structures The bridge bed (or deck) is suspended (held up) by cables

OTHER BRIDGES
There are lots of other types of bridges. These are variations on the main three types. What category do you think these types fit into?
Covered Bridge Transporter

Pontoon

OTHER BRIDGES

Moon

Trestle

Clapper

Girder

Cantilever

TRUSSES

Look at these bridges. Notice that they all are made up of triangular shapes. These triangular sections are called Triangular Trusses. Trusses are a framework of beams forming a rigid structure. In construction and architecture, the triangle is stronger than the rectangle. Why do you think that is?

TRUSSES AND TRIANGLES

Triangles are used because they are the simplest shape that cannot be changed if force (pressure) is applied to it. In a square, if you push sideways (or apply lateral force), it can bend and change shape without changing any of the sides. If you want to use a square, you have to REINFORCE at least one angle.

TRUSSES AND TRIANGLES

On a triangle, though, if you push on one side, it cannot change shape. The sides would have to stretch for this to happen. As long as your truss is made of a strong material, like steel, it cant stretch like that.

COMPRESSION AND TENSION

There are two forces that work in all bridges. Lets describe them using a spring. COMPRESSION is a force that compresses or shortens an object, like when you push a spring together and make it shorter. If you push it too strongly, it will BUCKLE. TENSION is a force that stretches or lengthens an object, like when you pull on a spring and make it longer. If it breaks and pulls apart, we say it YIELDS.

COMPRESSION AND TENSION

The diagram below shows how compression (squeezing) and tension (pulling) are distributed in different types of bridges. In bridges, solid bars are used for pieces that will experience tension, and hollow tubes for pieces that experience compression.