ENGINEERING/TECHNOLOGY ALL ABOUT BRIDGES

ENGINEERING/TECHNOLOGYALL ABOUT BRIDGES Students Click Here Teachers Click Here

Teacher Information This activity is for junior high aged students. This activity is to be used as an introduction about basic bridges and how they work. Students will need their own computer with access to the internet. The computer will need the software Microsoft Powerpoint, in order to view this program. Headphones will be needed as well to listen to videos embedded in the activity. The objective is to have students pass a quiz with a 100% with the information they learn.

Directions Click on the Previous button to go back a slide. Click on the Next button to do forward a slide. When you are done with all the lessons there will be a quiz for you. So read carefully and do your best! Click the next button to continue on. Previous Next

Types of Bridges(Click on Type to learn more) 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) • Beam Bridge Truss Bridge Arch Bridge Suspension Bridge Straight to Quiz

The Beam Bridge This is the most common look for a beam bridge.

What is a Beam Bridge? • Consists of a horizontal flat beam supported at each end by piers. • The weight of the beam pushes straight down on the piers. • The farther apart thepiers, the weaker the beam becomes. • Beam bridge pier sections rarely span more than 250 feet. • The simplest form of a bridge.

Beam Bridge Description Beam Piers Click here to learn about the next bridge

The Truss Bridge This is the most common look for a truss bridge.

Abouta Truss Bridge • Consists of an assembly of triangles. • Truss bridges are commonly made from a series of straight, steel bars. • Rigid arms extend from both sides of two piers.

How Does ATruss Bridge Work? • Diagonal steel bars, projecting from the top and bottom of each pier, hold the arms in place. • The arms that project toward the middle are only supported on one side, like really strong diving boards. • These "diving boards," called cantilever arms, support a third, central span.

There all kinds of different truss designs. The more triangles there are in a design the heavier a load it can handle. The weight is evenly spread on each beam to it’s pier.

Truss Bridge Description Beams Piers Cantilever Arms • Click here to learn about the next bridge

The Arch Bridge This is the most common look for an arch bridge.

About The Arch Bridge • One of the oldest types of bridges and have been around for thousands of years. • Arch bridges have great natural strength. • Originally built of stone or brick, but these days are built of reinforced concrete or steel. • The top of the arch is called the key stone.

How Does The Arch Bridge Work? • Instead of pushing straight down, the load of an arch bridge is carried outward along the curve of the arch to the supports at each end. The weight is transferred to the supports at either end. Key Stone • These supports, called the abutments, carry the load and keep the ends of the bridge from spreading out.

The Suspension Bridge This is the most common look for a suspension bridge.

About The Suspension Bridge • Suspension bridges use a box section roadway supported by high tensile strength cables. • Cables are made of thousands of individual steel wires bound tightly together. • Steel is very strong when under pressure, just a single .1 inch wire can hold half a ton. Tend to be most expensive bridge. • Suspension bridges can span distances from 2,000 to 7,000 feet far longer than any other kind of bridge.

How Does A Suspension Bridge Work? • A suspension bridge suspends the roadway from huge main cables, which extend from one end of the bridge to the other. • These cables rest on top of high towers and have to be securely anchored into the bank at either end of the bridge. • The towers enable the main cables to be draped over long distances.

Continued… • Most of the weight or load of the bridge is transferred by the cables to the anchorage systems. These are imbedded in either solid rock or huge concrete blocks. • Inside the anchorages, the cables are spread over a large area to evenly distribute the load and to prevent the cables from breaking free.

You are now ready to take the quiz! If you feel that you are ready for the quiz Click here Click here to go back and review

Question 1 Which bridge is the most simple type? A.) Suspension Bridge B.) Arch Bridge C.) Beam Bridge D.) Truss Bridge

CORRECT!!! Awesome Job! Keep up the good work and you will be done in no time! To move on to the next question CLICK HERE

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Question 2 Which bridge consists of triangles? A.) Suspension Bridge B.) Arch Bridge C.) Beam Bridge D.) Truss Bridge

Question 3 Which bridge has great natural strengths and is one of the oldest types? A.) Suspension Bridge B.) Arch Bridge C.) Beam Bridge D.) Truss Bridge

Question 4 Which bridge is supported by cable wires? A.) Suspension Bridge B.) Arch Bridge C.) Beam Bridge D.) Truss Bridge

Question 5 What are the supports called on the arch bridge? A.) Piers B.)Abutments C.) Stands D.) Key Stone

Question 6 True or False: A beam bridge only uses horizontal beams supported by piers. True False

Question 7 What is the name of the steel beams going towards the center of a truss bridge also known as the “diving boards”? A.) Hypotenuse B.) Main Diagonal Beams C.) The Key Arms D.) Cantilever Arms

Question 8 True or False: Suspension bridges are NOT the best type of bridge for long distances. True False

Question 9 • Which of these shapes would you see in the trusses of a truss bridge?

Question 10 Which bridge is your favorite bridge? A.)Suspension Bridge B.)Arch Bridge C.)Truss Bridge D.) Beam Bridge

Congratulations! You Completed The Activity With A 100% …Fantastic!!!!

ENGINEERING/TECHNOLOGY ALL ABOUT BRIDGES