Importance Of Physics In Bridge Building

Physics is all around us, from lifting a glass of water to an avalanche rolling down a mountain, practically everything can be related to it. It is important to understand how physics works and the laws of it. Without understanding gravity, inertia, force, energy, friction, thermal expansion, etc. the world could be a dangerous place. Buildings may not be built properly, we would not understand how to make a boat buoyant, and this is why understanding physics is so important. One area where physics plays a big part is in the building of bridges.
Understanding the relationship between tension and compression is crucial in the bridge building process. Too much compression will result in buckling and too much tension will cause snapping. Most …show more content…
A beam bridge is constructed of a horizontal beam and two supports on either side, these bridges are usually made by steel or concrete. The design of the bridge supports the downward weight the bridge experiences from traffic. The beam bridge can hold a lot of weight comfortable, but when there is too much weight on the bridge it affects the tension and compression. Too much weight will cause bending in the bridge, the top of the beam will be in because there is too much compression, and the bottom of the mean will bend out from too much tension. To prevent this, designers have to determine the correct size and height for the beam. The goal is to allow the tension and compression to flow evenly through the bridge. Increasing the height and size of the beam will do just that, and it also controls the length of the bridge. However, a standard beam bridge can only travel so far, around 200 feet. If the bridge needs to travel farther then additional supports need to be added, an advanced beam bridge is called a truss …show more content…
A familiar example of this bridge design is the Golden Gate Bridge. The design of this bridge is a bit difficult to explain, the load-bearing portion of the bridge is suspended by cables on vertical suspenders. Then there are supporting cables that run horizontally between the anchorages which are on either end of the bridge. As compression is pushed on the load-bearing portion, it travels up the cables and is transferred to the suspenders. This reduces the amount of compression on the load-bearing portion of the bridge. Tension is dealt with by the supporting cables, tension travels through these cables and are transferred to the anchorages. Because of the design of this bridge, it can reach a distance between 2,000 and 7,000