Most bridges stay aloft because of the relationship between two forces: compression and tension. Compression can best be described as materials pushing against each other.

All bridges routinely experience compression and tension. The vehicles that press down on a bridge's roadway compress the top half of the road, causing it to shorten like a compressed spring.

Become an expert on bridges as you survey potential bridge sites, research bridge designs, and select the right location ...

Yet, with traditional bridge-building activities using materials such as toothpicks or popsicle sticks, students often don’t get the opportunity to accurately measure tension and compression or ...