Imagine you’re trying to cross a river.
But the bridge is just a log, hanging from “cables” made of twisted grass. For centuries, people have walked across these kinds of bridges. Even so, they look very risky.
Suspension bridges are different from beam and arch bridges. They have decks (roadways or paths) that are suspended (hung) from above. Almost all suspension bridges have supporting truss systems. These are located beneath the bridge’s deck. Truss systems are open networks of triangles. They let wind pass through. This helps keep the deck stiff. It also keeps it from swaying too much.
Suspension bridges are the most expensive to build. That’s because they have so many parts. But they can also go across far longer distances than any other kind of bridge.
