GROUP 7 POWERPOINT

TRIANGLES IN BRIDGES
“THRUST"
Why are TRIANGLES used to make bridges?
 Triangles are used in bridges because they evenly
distribute weight without changing their
proportions.
 When force is applied on a shape like a rectangle
it would flatten out.
 Before triangles were used in bridges, they were
weak and could not be very big.
 Triangles are one of the best shapes for
distributing weight because they take force from
a single point and distribute it across a wide
base.
What type of TRIANGLE is used in
building BRIDGES?
 If we are talking about triangles forming bridges as
in trusses, then the regular repeated arrangement of
triangles allows the elements that make them
experience purely axial loads and not bending
moments of any real significance. This allows the
elements in the truss, in the triangles, to have a
smaller cross section than if they were arranged
differently.
 This allows trusses to tend to be the most economical
arrangements for bridge spans, in terms of material
versus load carrying ability, along with the overall
depth of section that is provided.
 A South Pacific Railroad Bridge in
California, USA, photo from Truss bridge
The biggest concerns when designing a
truss are the connections, buckling of the
elements and resisting the axial force in
the elements.

A South Pacific Railroad Bridge in California, USA,

The biggest concerns when designing a truss are the
connections, buckling of the elements and resisting
the axial force in the elements.
 Truss bridges often use equilateral and isosceles
triangles to distribute weight because the equal
angles allow forces to spread evenly across the
bridge.
 A truss bridge uses triangles to spread out the
weight of the vehicles crossing the bridge. Truss
bridges are lightweight and fairly inexpensive to
construct and maintain.
In the United States, they became popular in the 1800s.
Today, most truss bridges supports railroad tracks.
However, their designs are also popular for walking and
biking bridges.