Bridge+Vocabulary


 * Bridge:** A structure carrying a road, path, railroad, or canal across a river, ravine, road, railroad, or other obstacle


 * Arched Bridge:** A bridge having arches as the main supports


 * Beam Bridge:** A bridge built on beams that rest on abutments


 * Cantilever Bridge**: A bridge with rigid arms extending from both sides of a base, the inner ones usually supporting a central span


 * Pontoon Bridge:** A bridge formed from floating units, sometimes boats, tied together in a series


 * Suspension Bridge:** A bridge with its deck supported from above by large cables or chains hanging from towers


 * Civil Engineer:** An engineer who designs and maintains roads, bridges, dams, and similar structures


 * Abutment:** A structure supporting the ends of a bridge


 * Girder:** A large beam, usually steel or concrete


 * Truss:** A rigid, joined structure made up of individual straight pieces arranged and connected, usually in a triangular pattern, to support longer spans


 * Lamination:** A layered structure


 * Corrugation:** A fold into a furrow or ridge


 * Load:** The weight distribution throughout a structure; loads caused by climate conditions affect how weight is distributed throughout a structure


 * Span:** The distance between piers, towers, or abutments


 * Compression:** The pushing force which tends to shorten a member; opposite of tension


 * Stress:** Pressure or tension exerted on an object


 * Tension:** A force that pulls or stretches


 * Shear force:** The force at each end of a bridge, causing parts of a material to slide past one another in opposite directions


 * Tensile strength:** The ability of a material to withstand tension