Appendix B: Vocabulary for Bridges
Abutments: the end support of a bridge structure. They are most easily identified as the structural support at the lower or back ends of an arched structure.
Anchor: this is where the ends of a suspension bridge's cables are connected and secured into either the land or man-made structure. A suspension bridge cannot function without anchors.
Buttress: to buttress means to support. Many arched bridge designs rely on buttresses structures on their outsides walls to support the resulting lines forces acting within them.
Bridge deck: this is the road way
Cables: this is the name for the wires that extend from one bridge anchor across the top of the suspension bridges' pylons, and back to the bridge anchor on the other side. In suspension bridges they are hung in an inverted arch formation. This is also the name for the cables that support a cable stayed bride.
Caissons: this refers to structures built below the water to keep water out during the construction of bridge piers.
Concrete: a mixture of cement, sand aggregate, gravel aggregate, water, and selected admixtures.
Concrete in bridges is either pre-stressed, post-stressed, or reinforced.
Dead load: is the load of the bridge upon itself self-weight of all permanent loads
Equilibrium: refers to a state of balance. In bridge design, engineers create a system whereby forces can be balanced.
Hangers: are the iron chain, rods, wires, or ropes that attach the cables to the bridge deck.
Keystone: the last stone placed into the top of a stone arch which structurally completes the arch structure.
Live load: is the load of the traffic upon the bridge the imposed temporary loads on a structure
Pylon: the section of bridge directly above the piers that support that bridge cables.
Piers: an upright supporting section of a bridge. They support the bridge from below. In cases of piers found surrounded by water, they rest on the bedrock at the bottom of the body of water.
Saddles - engineered components of a bridge which are clamped to the cables to support the hangers.
Span: refers to the distance a bridge member crosses or gaps. It is the distance between supports of a structure. The measuring of bridges record long bridges sometimes refer to the distance of the suspended section of bridge, and other times refers to the total length the bridge spans.
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