Academic Programs –> National Building Museum--Bridge Basics

National Building Museum

Students identify various types of bridges, such as truss, beam, arch, suspension, and cable-stayed bridges.  They learn about the forces of gravity, compression, and tension and the role these forces play in the construction of modern day bridges.  Students explore which bridges are best in different situations.  At the museum, students apply their knowledge and become engineers, creating their own bridges out of various materials.  Back in the classroom, students design their own two-dimensional bridges using toothpicks.

	A group of students waits to present their suspension bridge. (top left) Students use materials like plastic cups and paper towel rolls to construct a beam bridge. (top right) It takes the whole team design and build a truss bridge. (left) Creativity is the key to making an arch bridge with recycled materials. (below left) Students study the pros and cons of truss bridges before deciding which bridge to build. (below right)