Investigating a Suspension Bridge
Contributed By
PBS Learning Media
Investigating a Suspension Bridge
Beam bridges are certainly simple to build, but compared to many other types of bridges, they're not very strong. By supporting the bridge deck of a typical beam bridge with a system of cables and transferring the deck's weight to heavy columns at either end, a beam bridge becomes a much stronger suspension bridge. In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, the ZOOM cast builds a suspension bridge using cardboard, rope, string, tape, and two chairs.