Vocabulary


 * 1) Bridge ~ a structure built to span physical obstacles (such as a body of water, valley, or road) for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. **
 * 2) Arched Bridge ~ a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. **


 * 3) BeamBridge ~ the most simple of structural forms being supported by an abutment at each end of the bridge deck. A  beam bridge could also be called a girder bridge .  **


 * 4) Suspension Bridge ~ A bridge that suspends the roadway from huge main cables, which extend from one end of the bridge to the other. **


 * 5) Abutment ~ a point where two structures or objects meet. **


 * 6) Truss ~ a structure made of many smaller parts. **


 * 7) Load ~ the downward forces that acts upon a structure. **


 * 8) Span ~ the distance a bridge extends between two supports. **


 * 9) Compression ~ a force that squeezes a material together. **


 * 10) Tension ~ a force that stretched a material apart. **


 * 11) Girder ~ a support beam used in construction. Girders often have an I-beam, cross section for strength, but may also have a box shape, Z shape, or other forms. **