Bridges at Work: Beams, Arches, and Suspension
Every day, people and vehicles travel across deep canyons, rushing rivers, and busy highways using bridges. A bridge is a structure built to span, or cross over, a physical obstacle. The main job of any bridge is to support a load. In engineering, a load refers to the total weight of the bridge itself plus the weight of everything moving across it, such as cars, trucks, trains, and pedestrians.
To hold up these heavy loads, bridges must balance two primary forces: compression and tension. Compression is a pushing or squeezing force that presses materials together. Tension is a pulling or stretching force that pulls materials apart. Different bridge designs distribute, or spread out, these forces in different ways to keep the roadway stable and safe.
Beam Bridges
A beam bridge is the simplest type of bridge design. It consists of a flat, horizontal surface called a beam that rests across vertical supports called piers. Beam bridges are often used to cross narrow bodies of water, highway ramps, and small valleys.
- load:
- The total amount of weight supported by a structure, including the structure itself and anything on it.
- compression:
- A pushing or squeezing force that presses materials closer together.
- tension:
- A pulling or stretching force that pulls materials apart.
- piers:
- Vertical posts or pillars that support a bridge from beneath and transfer weight to the ground.
- abutments:
- Heavy supporting structures at the ends of an arch bridge that resist its outward push.
- anchorages:
- Large, heavy blocks that hold the ends of suspension bridge cables firmly in place.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What two weights make up the total load on a bridge?
- 2How does compression differ from tension in bridge engineering?
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About this report passage for 4th Grade
“Bridges at Work: Beams, Arches, and Suspension” is a report reading passage about bridge engineering and forces, written for 4th Grade. It takes about 4 minutes to read (643 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.