The Topic:  Bridge Building Easier - Bridges are structures built over a river, railroad track, road, or some other obstacle. They allow people or vehicles to cross from one side to another.   Harder - Bridges are structures used by people and vehicles to make crossing areas easier in travel. Engineers build bridges over rivers, lakes, ravines, canyons, railroads, and highways.   Bridges must be built strong enough to safely support their own weight as well as the weight of the people and vehicles that pass over it. The bridge must also withstand natural occurrences that include weathering, earthquakes, strong winds, and freezing and thawing.     Bridge from Fact Monster http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0808901.html This introductory site provides some basic information about bridges. Other Introductory Bridge Information: 2) Basic Bridge Types from Matsuo Bridge http://www.matsuo-bridge.co.jp/english/bridges/index.shtm 3) Bridge Basics: A Spotter's Guide to Bridge Design http://pghbridges.com/basics.htm 4) Bridge Building: Art and Science http://www.brantacan.co.uk/bridges.htm 5) Bridge Building Information http://www.brantacan.co.uk/bridges.htm 6) Bridges from Idaho PTV's Building Big http://www.idahoptv.org/buildingbig/bridges.html 7) Geometry of Bridge Construction http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/jmac/rs/bridges.htm   Bridge Pros http://bridgepros.com/ This comprehensive bridge-site is dedicated to the engineering, history and construction of bridges. Not-To-Be-Missed Section: 2) Bridge Projects http://bridgepros.com/projects/index.html    How Bridges Work (Webpage 1 of 7) by M. Morrissey at How Stuff Works  http://www.howstuffworks.com/bridge.htm This website looks at the three major types of bridges so that you can understand how each one works. The type of bridge used depends on various features of the obstacle.    Super Bridge from PBS NOVA Online http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/ How would you span a freeway? A canyon? A river? Or an ocean waterway? Learn about the four major types of bridges and then test your knowledge by matching the right bridge to the right location. Related PBS Website: 2) All About Bridges from Building Big http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/bridge/index.html   After visiting several of the websites, complete one or more of the following bridge building activities.   Inventory the Bridges in Your Area. Identify all the bridges in your area. Research their history. Identify the type of bridge construction that each represents. See if you can find out when they were built and by whom. Did they replace another bridge? Can you find any photographs of their construction? Consider putting your findings onto a spreadsheet. Put together a display that summarizes what you discovered about the bridges.   Build A Virtual Bridge. Use your skill and judgment to decide which bridge best fits each location at (1) Bridge Building (http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/civeng/marketing/civeng/game2.htm). Read the clues and follow the basic steps of a preliminary feasibility study to build the right bridge. Note that the navigation is a little confusing, stick with it and see if you can figure it out. Another virtual bridge building activity can be found at (2) Bridge Builder (http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/architecture/activity3.shtm) from PBS's TeacherSource.   Design and Build a Virtual Bridge Truss. Use the program at Bridge Designer (http://www.jhu.edu/~virtlab/bridge/truss.htm) to design trusses. Once a truss is drawn in the program, a click on "Calculate" will check your design. Another click will generate a complete force diagram showing compression/tension forces in each of the members and reactive forces at the support nodes.   Build a Bridge. After visiting several of the websites and looking at different designs, try your hand at making model bridges. First, draw out the design. Then select your material(s). Builders often use balsa wood, other types of wood, toothpicks, straws and even pasta (spaghetti). Model bridges can even be built from Legos. Check out (1) Lego Bridges (http://jacob.sparre.dk/LEGO/Transport/Broer/) from Jacob's Lego and (2) Bridges, Bridges, Bridges: The Bridges of LEGO® County website (http://weirdrichard.com/bridges.htm) from "Weird Richard."   How Many Pennies Will Your Bridge Hold? Follow the directions found at File Card Bridges (http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/card_bridge.html) from Exploratorium and experiment to find the strongest design.   Complete a Bridge Builder WebQuest. Follow or adapt the directions found at these webQuest sites:  1) Bridge Builders by J. Fuentes (4-6 grade) http://students.itec.sfsu.edu/itec815_f98/jfuentes/jfindex.html 2) Bridge Building WebQuest by M. Colletta http://www.smithtown.k12.ny.us/msteched/webquest.html 3) Bridge over Troubled Waters (Advanced) by A. Neill and K. Manning http://www.hpedsb.on.ca/qep/Bridges/bridges.html 4) Building Bridges (Grade 6) http://volweb.utk.edu/Schools/bedford/harrisms/bridge.htm  5) Creative Construction by H. McNeil http://www.nevada.edu/~hmcneil/creativeconstruction.html 6) Spaghetti Bridge Building by J. Gillett http://www.cheney268.com/MSMath/Gillett/Bridges/SBMain.htm 7) Technology & Bridge Design http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/pbmiddle/bridges-tech/ 8) Wonderful World of Bridges by L. Hackney http://www.blazer.ashland.k12.ky.us/Academics/Mathematics/Hackney/Webquest/ . . .   Enter a Bridge Building Competition. Several competitions and their specifications can be found at the Bridge Building Home Page (http://www.iit.edu/~hsbridge/database/search.cgi/:/public/index) . If there are no bridge building contests in your area, start your own. Rules for a popsicle stick and toothpick bridge contest can be found at Bridge Building Contest (http://www.wsta.net/Publish/sciengcontest/Publish/page6.html). Ideas for a cardboard bridge contest can be found at Bridge-Building Contest (http://wqed.org/erc/pghist/units/build/bridgecontest.html). You can find the rules for a other bridge building contests at Physics Balsa Bridge Building Contest (http://www.balsabridge.com/), and Spaghetti Bridge Building Competition (http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/phys/spagh/overview.htm). Another competition website that may be of interest is the West Point Bridge Design Contest (http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/).   Identify A Bridge. Test your bridge recognition at the Bridge of the Month Quiz (http://www.hevanet.com/bridgink/).   Websites By Kids For Kids KidBridges: A Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge http://www.salvadori.org/kidbridges/ This is the site of a project-based learning activity by middle school students in Brooklyn, NY.   Million Dollar Bridge  http://library.advanced.org/10201/ The Million Dollar Bridge was built in 1908 and has withstood Alaskan weather, an earthquake, disrepair, and neglect. It is still a point of debate today as to whether or not repairs should continue. Look at the entire history of this bridge, an extensive photo gallery, and an architectural study of the bridge. It explains what was needed to build a structure capable of withstanding Alaskan weather extremes.    A Bunch More Bridge Websites ABCD's Bridge Design Tips for Kids http://www.abcdpittsburgh.org/kids/kids.htm So, you've been given a project to design and construct a bridge that will hold the most weight for a given span. Now you are probably wondering where to start. What type of bridge is the strongest?   Annual Bridge Inventory from Better Roads http://www.betterroads.com/articles/bridgeinv.htm This publication has reported annually the state of the nation's bridges since 1979. Related Documents: 2) Better Roads: 1996 Bridge Inventory http://www.iti.northwestern.edu/publications/misc/better_roads/96_bridge_inventory.html 3) Better Roads: 1994 Bridge Inventory http://www.iti.northwestern.edu/publications/misc/better_roads/94_bridge_inventory.html 4) Better Roads: 1995 Bridge Inventory http://www.iti.northwestern.edu/publications/misc/better_roads/95_bridge_inventory.html 5) Bridge Research: Leading the Way to the Future http://www.iti.northwestern.edu/publications/misc/cooper/bridge_research.html   Bridge Builder Magazine http://www.bridgebuildermagazine.com/ This magazine focuses on the information needs of bridge contractors, bridge designers and engineers, government departments responsible for maintaining bridges, and related companies involved in the building, repair, and rehabilitation of both public and private bridges. Related Journals: 2) Better Bridges Articles http://www.betterroads.com/articles/BetterBridges.htm 3) Journal of Bridge Engineering from American Society of Civil Engineers http://www.pubs.asce.org/journals/be.html 4) Roads & Bridges http://roadsbridges.com/rb/   Bridge Construction and Engineering http://bridgepros.com/ This site is dedicated to the engineering, history and construction of bridges. Related Websites: 2) Bridge Engineering Home Page from SC Solutions http://www.scsolutions.com/bridge.html 3) Innovative Bridge Research and Construction (IBRC) Program from U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration http://ibrc.fhwa.dot.gov/   Bridges from Northwestern University's Infrastructure Technology Institute http://iti.acns.nwu.edu/links/bridges.html This site provides a comprehensive list of links to a variety of technical information about bridges.   Bridge Research: Leading the Way to the Future from Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Center http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/summer95/p95su23.htm This article discusses the importance of research in maintaining America's bridges.   Cable Supported Structures http://www.struct.kth.se/people/raid/cable.htm Here you find a comprehensive list of web sites containing information about cable supported structures and other related subjects.   Corrosion Protection: Concrete Bridges from Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) http://www.tfhrc.gov/structur/corros/corros.htm This report summarizes the progress made in the research programs for corrosion control of reinforcing steel in reinforced and prestressed concrete.     Historic Bridge Foundation http://www.historicbridgefoundation.com/ This site provides is a clearinghouse for information on the preservation of endangered bridges.   Historic Bridge Homepage from University of Florida Civil & Coastal Engineering http://www.ce.ufl.edu/~historic/ This civil engineering website provides pictures of cast and wrought iron bridges, early steel bridges, and early stone and concrete bridges. The bridges are ones over the Delaware River and others found in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Florida. Related Websites: 2) Historic Bridges from Washington State Dept. of Transportation http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/environment/culres/bridges/bridgefinder.htm 3) Historic Bridges of Virginia http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/history/ 4) Michigan Bridge Tour http://michsite.state.mi.us/Results.cfm?ParentID=5304 5) Minnesota's Historic Bridges http://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/bridges/bridges.html 6) Nebraska Historic Bridges http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/nediv/bridges/histbrdg.htm 7) Oregon's Historic Bridges http://www.odot.state.or.us/eshtm/br.htm   Old Covered Bridges of Southeastern Pennsylvania http://william-king.www.drexel.edu/top/bridge/CB1.html This is an online guide to the old covered bridges in the counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Philadelphia, and nearby New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware State. Related Websites: 2) Covered Bridges from Pennsylvania Dutch Country http://www.800padutch.com/covbrdg.shtml 3) Covered Bridges of Madison County http://www.madisoncounty.com/bridge.html 4) Georgia Historic Covered Bridges http://www.dot.state.ga.us/specialsubjects/specialinterest/covered/ 5) New England Covered Bridges from Yankee Life http://www.yankeelife.com/bridges/ 6) Ohio's Covered Bridges http://www.dot.state.oh.us/se/coveredbridges/ 7) Vermont's Covered Bridges http://www.virtualvermont.com/coveredbridge/   Office of Bridge Administration of the U. S. Coast Guard http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-o/g-opt/g-opt.htm In 1967, the Bridge Program was transferred from the Army Corp of Engineers to the U.S. Coast Guard within the Department of Transportation. Another Government Bridge Site: 2) Office of Bridge Technology from U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/   Pons from Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities http://www.ukans.edu/history/index/europe/ancient_rome/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/ . . . This article provides information about the ancient bridges of Greece and Rome.   Roebling's Bridge Division from Invention Factory http://www.inventionfactory.com/history/RHAbridg/ Ever wondered who built the Brooklyn Bridge, the George Washington Bridge, and many other well-known bridge structures? Learn more at this section of the Roebling Online History Archive.    Truss Bridge Laboratory at University of Florida http://www.ce.ufl.edu/activities/truss lab/trussndx.html Here you learn the basics of truss bridge construction and the causes of their failure.   West Point Bridge Designer  http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/download.htm At this site, you can download a software tool developed to help you learn about engineering, computer-aided design, and bridge structures. The software is in the public domain and intended for educational use only. Pay For Bridge Software: 2) Model Bridge from Software Inventions (Demo can be downloaded) http://softwareinventions.com/modbrg/default.htm   More Websites On Specific Bridges Index to Bridges: Bridges: A Span for All Seasons by D. Denenberg http://www.bridgemeister.com/bridgeidx.htm Bridges Building Types http://www.cbel.com/bridges_building_types/ Bridges Gallery http://www.geocities.com/big_bridges1/ Bridges In The USA And Canada http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/usa_can/bridges/index.htm Links to Bridge Pages in Internet http://member.nifty.ne.jp/bridges/maine.htm#AA Mark Ketchum's Bridge Engineering Page http://www.ketchum.org/bridges.html Major Bridges http://www.swishweb.com/Science_and_Technology/Bridges/ Notable Modern Bridges from Fact Monster http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0001342.html   Brooklyn Bridge: (1) Brooklyn Bridge http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/bbridge.html, (2) Brooklyn Bridge by S. Anderson http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/brooklyn/, (3) Short History of the Brooklyn Bridge http://romdog.com/bridge/history/bridge_history.html, (4) Brooklyn Bridge from Great Buildings Online http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Brooklyn_Bridge.html Campo Volantin Footbridge: Campo Volantin Footbridge from Great Buildings Online http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Campo_Volantin_Footbridge.html Chesapeake Bay Bridge: (1) Chesapeake Bay Bridge - Tunnel Homepage http://www.cbbt.com/ , (2) Chesapeake Bay Bridge http://www.mdkidspage.org/html/bridge.html, (3) Painting the Chesapeake Bay Bridge http://www.mdkidspage.org/html/paint.html, (4) Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel from PBS's Building Big http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/struct . . ., (5) Lucius J. Kellam, Jr. Bridge-Tunnel by B. Holmberg and G. Reagan http://www.spokenamericanenglish.com/bridge.htm Clark Bridge: (1) Clark Bridge - Alton, Illinois  http://www.altonweb.com/history/clarkbridge/, (2) Clark Bridge http://www.greatriverroad.com/Cities/Alton/clarkBridge.htm, (3) 10 Years of the 'New' Clark Bridge Easing Traffic Flow To and From Alton by V. Bennington from Illinois Business Journal http://www.ibjonline.com/print_alton_clark_bridge.html - article continued http://www.ibjonline.com/alton_clark_bridge.html Clifton Suspension Bridge: (1) Clifton Suspension Bridge from Great Buildings Online http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Clifton_Suspension_Bridge.html, (2) Clifton Suspension Bridge http://www.clifton-suspension-bridge.org.uk/, (3) Clifton Suspension Bridge Panorama from BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/society_culture/architecture/launch_pan_clifton_br . ., (4) Clifton Suspension Bridge http://www.farvis.com/bridge,htm.htm, (5) Clifton Suspension Bridge from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Suspension_Bridge  Coalbrookdale: Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdale from Great Buildings Online http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Iron_Bridge_at_Coalbrookdale.html, (2) The Iron Bridge http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/ironbridge/topic.asp?Topic=The%20Iron%20Bridge . . ., (3) Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdale http://www.princeton.edu/~civ102/gallery/iron_bridge.shtml George Washington Bridge: (1) Building the George Washington Bridge http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/gwbhistorygallery.htm, (2) George Washington Bridge http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/george-washington/, (3) George Washington Bridge http://www.fortleeonline.com/gwb/, (4) George Washington Bridge (Photographs) http://www.duke.edu/~mjt7/gwb.html, (5) George Washington Suspension Bridge http://bridgepros.com/projects/George%20Washington/GeorgeWashington.htm Gibraltar Bridge (Concept): (1) Gibraltar Bridge: Engineering the Impossible from Discovery Channel http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/eti/projects/bridgemain.html, (2) Gilbraltar Bridge http://idol.union.edu/~ferrerf/project/text.htm, Golden Gate Bridge (See also: San Francisco Bay): (1) Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District http://www.goldengate.org/, (2) Golden Gate Bridge Opens from Fact Monster http://www.factmonster.com/spot/goldengate.html, (3) Golden Gate Bridge http://www.goldengatebridge.org/, (4) Golden Gate Bridge from Great Buildings Online http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Golden_Gate_Bridge.html, (5) Golden Gate Bridge Facts by M. Thoma http://www.thoma.com/thoma/ggbfacts.html, (6) Golden Gate Bridge (Webpage 1 of 4) from About.com http://gocalifornia.about.com/library/weekly/aa030899.htm London Bridge: (1) London Bridge is Tourist Bait in Lake Havasu City, AZ by C. Woodbury from Out West http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/london.html, (2) London Bridge from Fact Monster http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/world/A0830211.html, (3) London Bridge from Dragonwing http://midtown.net/dragonwing/col9802.htm, (4) London Bridge around 1500 from BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/society_culture/architecture/launch_vr_london_bridge.shtml Portland, Oregon: (1) Bridges of Portland, Oregon http://www.bizave.com/portland/bridges/, (2) Portland Bridges from Oregon Dept. of Transportation http://www.odot.state.or.us/eshtm/port.htm, Quebec Bridge: First Quebec Bridge Disaster http://www.civeng.carleton.ca/ECL/reports/ECL270/Disaster.html, (2) Quebec Bridge http://www.civeng.carleton.ca/Exhibits/Quebec_Bridge/intro.html, (3) Quebec Bridge Failure by J.H. Lienhard http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi220.htm, (4) Quebec Bridge http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Bench/7918/cssq/ponta.html, (5) Quebec Bridge Collapse from University of Toronto http://www.civ.toronto.edu/funstuff/disaster/quebec.htm, (6) Collapse of the Quebec City Bridge by B. Ricketts from Mysteries of Canada http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Quebec/quebec_bridge_collapse.htm Royal Gorge Bridge: (1) Royal Gorge Bridge and Park (Canon City,CO) http://royalgorgebridge.com/, (2) Royal Gorge Bridge and Park (Video clip) http://www.welcomevision.com/royalgorge.html, (3) Suspension Bridges: The Royal Gorge Bridge http://www.micron.com/k12/lessonplans/bridges/royal.html, (4) Royal Gorge from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Gorge Saint Paul: Bridge Division of City of Saint Paul, MN http://bridges.stpaul.gov/ San Francisco Bay (See also: Golden Gate Bridge): (1) Bridging the Bay http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Exhibits/Bridge/intro.html, (2) Bridges of San Francisco Bay http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/calbrdgs.htm, (3) Symphonies in Steel: Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate by J.B. McGloin from Museum of the City of San Francisco http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist9/mcgloin.html Sydney Harbor Bridge: (1) Sydney Harbour Bridge from City of Sydney http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/hs_hb_sydney_harbour_bridge.asp, (2) BridgeClimb http://www.bridgeclimb.com/, (3) Sydney Harbour Bridge http://www.gids.nl/sydney/info.html Tacoma Narrows Bridge: (1) Today's Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Use the forward control to compare to the original design) http://www.nwrain.com/~newtsuit/recoveries/narrows/cb.htm, (2) Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Includes video clip) http://www.civeng.carleton.ca/Exhibits/Tacoma_Narrows/index.html, (3) Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse from University of Toronto http://www.civ.toronto.edu/funstuff/disaster/tacoma.htm, (4) Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster http://www.enm.bris.ac.uk/research/nonlinear/tacoma/tacoma.html, (5) History of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcoll/tnb/ Williamsburg Bridge: At Work on the Living Bridges of New York City by L. Biemiller from The Chronicle of Higher Education http://iti.acns.nwu.edu/publications/bridges/biemiller96.html, (2) Williamsburg Bridge http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/williamsburg/, (3) Williamsburg Bridge http://www.inventionfactory.com/history/RHAbridg/wb.html, (4) Over 100 Years, The Williamsburg Bridge Has Diversified A Borough by J. Berger http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n34/Over100Years-en.shtml   Websites for Teachers Bridge Builder (Grades 4-9) from PBS Teachersource  http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/architecture/activity3.shtm This activity allows students to try their hand at designing bridges.   Bridge Building from PBS's Nova Online http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/ideas/2416_bridge.html This teachers guide accompanies the Nova Super Bridge program.   Bridge Building Project http://www.zometool.com/pdfs/bridge_building_project.pdf In this unit, students will design and build models of bridges intended for a local creek or river.   Bridge Construction (Grades 5-12) http://www.swe.org/iac/LP/bridge_01b.html Students build a model of a bridge and test the amount of weight it will support. Related Lesson Plan: Suspension Bridge Construction (Grades 5-12) http://www.swe.org/iac/LP/bridge_01.html   Bridges (Grades 9-12) http://cl.k12.md.us/bridges/bridgept.HTM Here is a teacher guide for a ten-day student project on bridges and bridge-building.   Bridges (Grade 8) by A. Warner http://www.naschools.net/teachers/sum2000/warner/andrea's%20bridges.htm Here is a lesson guide for a unit on bridges.   Bridges by N. Budnitz from Center for Inquiry Based Learning (CIBL) at Duke University http://www.biology.duke.edu/cibl/exercises/bridges.htm Each student builds the lightest-weight bridge he or she can that spans a 24-inch space between two supports. The bridge must be made from simple materials and must be able to support a standard brick (about five pounds). In the process, students formulate the basic engineering principles of bridge design.   Bridges: How Do Different Bridge Designs Work? from Newton's Apple http://www.ktca.org/newtons/12/bridges.html  This lesson plan is designed to help learners answer why they would choose one bridge design over another? How do bridges stay up? What different kinds of bridges are built? What is a truss? Related Lessons: 2) Bridge Design Project (Grades 9-12) by F. Kramer http://www.qacps.k12.md.us/comtek/Lessons/bridge_unit.pdf 3) Bridges from Newton's Apple http://www.tpt.org/newtons/12/bridges.html   Building a Paper Bridge: An Introduction to Problem Solving (Grade 8) by S. Waltson from Learn NC http://www.learnnc.org/learnnc/lessonp.nsf/docunid/DF3052D4C139 . . . The student is to build the longest non-supported single span bridge possible using one sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper. Related Lesson from Learn NC: 2) Building Bridges (Grade 6) by A. Davidson, S. Davidson, & S. Gibson http://www.learnnc.org/learnnc/lessonp.nsf/0/FD78E308264EC755 . . .   Building Model Bridges Following the Engineering Process (Grades 5-8) by J. Lewis from Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2001/5/01.05.04.x.html The curriculum unit will be divided into three major sections. The first section will introduce students to the three major types of bridges, second section will discuss the engineering process in bridge design, and the final section introduce one type of bridge building contest.   Connecting With Bridges (Grade 5) by R. Anderson, L. Cline, & A. Pugh http://www.thesolutionsite.com/lpnew/lesson/5506/overview.htm This lesson unit introduces the basic bridge types and the physical concepts involved in bridge building, requires students to research a bridge, develop a Power Point presentation reflecting what was learned, compare and contrast the bridges studied by constructing a table, and finally, to collaborate as a team to build a successful model of a bridge.   Hands on Bridge Building (Grades 5-8) http://www.ed.uri.edu/SMART96/Middle/BRIDGES/bridge.html The spaghetti bridge can be a fun and challenging activity that integrates math and science. The bridge will be designed and built by the students out of inexpensive materials such as spaghetti, tape and glue. It will require the students to do a cost analysis of their project and to conceptualize how their completed project will look before having built it.   Lesson (5th Grade)  http://www.scsc.k12.ar.us/WatersJ/newpage3.htm This lesson to investigates and explores the basic architectural and design principles/concepts used to create an arch bridge. The learner will then apply these principles/concepts to build model bridges to test for live load capacity. Lesson plan includes four different activities.   Pre-Engineering Software Corporation  http://www.pre-engineering.com/ Pre-Engineering Software Corporation develops and publishes teaching tools for middle and high school that introduce students to the adventure of solving true-life engineering problems while reinforcing their math and science skills.    Toothpick Bridges and Other Structures http://www.asme.org/education/precollege/ideas/tpickbr.htm Bridges have been an essential part of transportation for hundreds of years, and it is the job of civil engineers to design the safest, most durable bridges possible. This site provides a differentiated lesson plan for investigating bridges.   bridge trestle pier cable caisson architecture arch bridge covered bridge civil engineering Bureau of Transportation beam bridge structure iron & steel box girder distributed load reinforced concrete cantilever suspension bridge force cofferdam cablestayed bridge pier truss column Catenary arch deck engineer drawbridge torsion stress compression girder bridge rail arch abutment U.S. Dept. of Transportation load fulcrum building & construction viaduct span swing bridge elastic limit footing river       Created by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 11/99. Updated 10/03.