What Holds Up a Beam Bridge?
Learn how the deck, beams, and supports of a beam bridge work together to help people cross a creek.
Play the quiz as a gameA bridge helps people cross a creek without getting wet. But what holds up the road? The road needs help so it will not bend too much.
A beam bridge has a deck. The deck is the flat part that people walk or ride on. It is like the bridge's floor.
Long, strong bars called beams sit under the deck. They help hold it up. The beams can be made of wood, steel, or concrete. Steel is a strong metal.
The beams need help, too. Their ends rest on strong supports at each bank of the creek. Some long bridges also have piers. These tall supports stand under the beams between the banks.
A drawing of this bridge has the heading "Parts of a Beam Bridge." Its caption says, "Beams hold up the deck. Piers help hold up the beams." The caption tells about the drawing.