SUPER SIMPLE PROJECTS ENGINEERING ENGINEER IT BRIDGE PROJECTS CAROLYN BERNHARDT CONSULTING EDITOR DIANE CRAIG M A READING SPECIALIST Super Sandcastle An Imprint of Abdo Publishing abdopublishing com
WHAT IS A BRIDGE A bridge is a structure that crosses over something Bridges allow people to go over obstacles This makes travel faster and safer Many bridges cross bodies of water such as rivers Bridges also connect islands to mainlands Other bridges are built over obstacles on land For example many highways have bridges that let roads cross over each other These are called overpasses 4 BRIDGE OVER WATER HIGHWAY OVERPASS
PARTS OF A BRIDGE There are many kinds of bridges They all look a little different But there are a few basic parts that are similar in all bridges The surface of a bridge is called the bridge deck The bridge deck has at least two supports The part of a support that is above ground is a pier The part that is below ground is a pile A place where an end of the bridge deck meets a support is called an abutment The section of bridge deck between two piers is called a span A bridge can have one or many spans BRIDGE DECK ABUTMENT SPAN PIER PILE PILE
