Bridge and Engineering Concepts

A concrete wall that supports the end of a bridge and holds back the soil that is filled in behind it.

A characteristic of a material that fails by rupturing suddenly and without warning, when loaded in tension. The opposite of brittle is ductile.

A failure that occurs when compression causes a member to suddenly bend sideways, perpendicular to the direction of the applied load.

An internal force that tends to make a structural member shorter.

The flat surface that forms the floor of a bridge and supports the roadway.

A change in the size or shape of a structural member that occurs when the member is loaded.

A type of structural member used in a truss.

The capacity of a material to undergo very large plastic deformation before rupturing. A ductile material provides ample warning of failure. The opposite of ductile is brittle.

Behavior characterized by the capability of a structural member to return to its original size and shape after its load is removed.

The condition that occurs when the total force acting on an object is zero. If an object is not moving, then it is in equilibrium.

The condition that occurs when the internal force in a structural member becomes larger than the strength of that member.

A structural member that supports the deck of a bridge. On a truss bridge, floor beams also help to connect the two main trusses together.

A push or a pull applied to an object. A force always has both magnitude and direction.

A component of a structure that distributes the weight of the structure to the soil or rock below it.

The pivot about which a lever rotates.