Strength of Materials
Students learn about the variety of materials used by engineers in the design and construction of modern bridges. They also find out about the material properties important to bridge construction and consider the advantages and disadvantages of steel and concrete as common bridge-building materials to handle compressive and tensile forces.
Concrete is made from cement, aggregate and water.Copyright 2003 Denise W. Carlson. Used with permission.
When designing structures such as bridges, engineers carefully choose the materials by anticipating the forces the materials (the structural components) are expected to experience during their lifetimes. Usually, ductile materials such as steel, aluminum and other metals are used for components that experience tensile loads. Brittle materials such as concrete, ceramics and glass are used for components that experience compressive loads.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- List several common materials used the design and construction of structures.
- Describe several factors that engineers consider when selecting materials for the design of a bridge.
- Explain the advantages and disadvantages of common materials used in engineering structures (steel and concrete).