Title: How it Works: Engineering Bridges to Handle Stress
Headings: How it Works: Engineering Bridges to Handle Stress
How it Works: Engineering Bridges to Handle Stress
The gravity dilemma
Beam Bridge
Arch Bridge
Suspension Bridge
Cable-stayed bridge
Truss bridge
Cantilever bridge
The Rolling Bridge, London
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Newcastle
Stressors beyond gravity
Changing loads
Environmental forces
Accidents and other unexpected events
Conclusion

Content: Ice, cold, and blizzards. Cold weather and freezing conditions cause contraction on certain bridge elements. Thawing can have the opposite effect. The impacts of expansion and contraction have been exacerbated in today’s more extreme climate conditions. Engineers account for this by incorporating more responsive and flexible components into bridges constructed in cold places. Accidents and other unexpected events
Traffic and construction accidents, boats hitting abutments, and explosions can lead to significant bridge stress and sometimes, failure. Builders can leverage strong, fire-retardant materials and isolating elements to limit the impact extreme events have on the balance of forces affecting a bridge. Conclusion
Some of the forces outlined above may cause immediate catastrophic damage to bridges or ultimate failure. These stressors also wear away at bridges over time, leading to long-term damage. Much like living beings, bridges have ways of communicating that they’re over-stressed.