Force
A bridge must handle high amounts of force well to maintain stability. Force takes into account mass and acceleration due to gravity. The bridge's traffic or load, beams and endpoints all exert force on the bridge. The net effects of this force can cause bending or twisting.
Stress
Stress describes an amount of force applied over a specific area. When parts of a bridge experience opposing forces at opposite ends, it has tensile stress. If a downward force in the middle opposes upward forces at the end of a piece, it has bending stress. Torsional stress describes opposing circular forces on a bridge or joint.
Types
Three main types of bridges include arch, beam and suspension bridge. Suspension bridges use tall posts from which engineers connect strong cables. These cables support the various stresses on the bridge. Arch bridges work the opposite way by supporting the load from the bottom. Beam bridges use pillars or pylons to support the flat bridge surface.