Bridges Bridges are structures which carry people and vehicles across natural or man-made obstacles.

As early roads connected villages and towns, people traveled by foot or with carts and wagons. Although a person carrying a large bundle might be able to cross a stream by swimming or stepping on stones, as horse drawn vehicles with heavy loads needed to cross more dangerous terrain, permanent sturdy bridges became an important part of transportation systems. Early bridges were made from local materials such as wood, stone and fibers. Today, most bridges have a concrete, steel, or wood framework with an asphalt or concrete roadway. Based on the length of the barrier to be crossed, the amount and type of traffic as well as forces of nature (wind, tide, flood) different materials and shapes of bridges are used. There are many types of bridges such as arch bridges, girder bridges, truss bridges, cantilever bridges, cable-stayed bridges, suspension bridges and moveable bridges. Many bridges are actually combinations of different types of bridges -- and no two bridges are identical! Most bridges are held up by at least two supports set in the ground called abutments. Some bridges have additional supports along the middle of the bridge called piers. A span is the distance between two supports, either two piers, a pier and an abutment or two abutments. Many short bridges are supported only by the abutments and are called single-span bridges. Longer bridges usually have one or more piers to support them and are known as multi-span bridges. How Bridges Work Most machines do some type of work. You know an engine, windmill or other machine is generating a force or work because you can see the motion. Although a bridge does not have spinning moving parts like other machines, it is still doing work. What is a bridge's work? A bridge needs to be strong enough to support its own weight plus the load of passengers and vehicles travelling on it against the pull of gravity. A bridge works against the pull of gravity. If you hold a facial tissue between your hands and place a heavy book on top of a facial tissue, you know the book will break through the tissue. The tissue is not strong enough to support the weight of the book. How do bridge's work? Although there are many types of bridges most bridges work by balancing compression and tension. Place a flexible object like an eraser, sponge, or small piece of bread between your thumb and index finger. Press your fingers together. One side of the object will bend inwards and shorten while the other will bend outwards and lengthen. The shorter side has been compressed, while the other side is under tension. Bridge components experience these tension and compression stresses.