Suspension Bridges

About Suspension Bridges

Hang on tight for this quiz about the engineering marvels of suspension bridges! Suspension Bridges packs 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 8 medium, 5 hard, 2 easy questions into a relaxed session of roughly 7 minutes — no sign-up, no timer pressure. An explanation appears after every answer, and finishing once a day keeps your streak alive.

A few sample questions

1. 1. What are the two main cables in a suspension bridge primarily responsible for?

   Answer: Supporting the weight of the deck

   The main cables in a suspension bridge carry the weight of the deck (roadway) through vertical suspender cables. The main cables transfer this load to the towers and then to the anchorages at each end.

2. 2. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse of 1940 was caused primarily by what phenomenon?

   Answer: Aeroelastic flutter from wind

   The Tacoma Narrows Bridge ('Galloping Gertie') collapsed on November 7, 1940, due to aeroelastic flutter caused by wind. The bridge's narrow, shallow plate-girder deck was susceptible to wind-induced oscillations that grew catastrophically.

3. 3. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan has the longest main span of any suspension bridge. Approximately how long is it?

   Answer: 1,991 meters

   The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge has a main span of 1,991 meters (6,532 feet), making it the world's longest suspension bridge by main span. It connects Kobe to Awaji Island and was completed in 1998.

4. 4. Who is considered the 'Father of the Brooklyn Bridge,' the engineer who designed it?

   Answer: John Augustus Roebling

   John Augustus Roebling designed the Brooklyn Bridge, though he died from a tetanus infection before construction began. His son Washington Roebling oversaw construction, which was completed in 1883.

5. 5. What is the term for the tall structures on a suspension bridge from which the main cables are draped?

   Answer: Towers

   The towers (also called pylons in some contexts) are the tall vertical structures that support the main cables of a suspension bridge. They transmit the cable forces down to the foundations.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connects Staten Island and Brooklyn across the Narrows, the entrance to Upper New York Bay. When it opened in 1964, its 1,298-meter span made it the longest suspension bridge in the world.
• ✓Anchorages are massive structures, often made of concrete, at each end of a suspension bridge that secure the main cables. They must resist enormous pulling forces and are typically deeply embedded in rock or heavy enough to resist the cable tension.
• ✓The Humber Bridge crosses the Humber Estuary in northeast England, connecting East Riding of Yorkshire to North Lincolnshire. Its main span of 1,410 meters was the world's longest from 1981 until the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge opened.