Types of Structures
This type of structure is built as one solid piece and relies on heavy materials to support its load.
What is a solid structure?
This is a force that pulls objects toward the Earth's center.
What is gravity?
This triangular structure is commonly used in bridges and roofs to add strength.
What is a truss?
This type of structural failure happens when the design does not account for weight, forces, or materials.
What is bad design?
This type of bridge has cables that hold up the roadway.
What is a suspension bridge?
A structure that uses a network of connected parts to distribute weight is called this.
What is a frame structure?
The four types of internal forces are tension, compression, shear, and this twisting force.
What is torsion?
These vertical supports help hold up buildings and are often seen in Greek or Roman architecture.
What are columns?
When poor materials or bad installation cause a building to collapse, it is called this.
What is faulty construction?
The weight of cars, people, and trucks on a bridge is an example of this type of load.
What is a live load?
A dome or eggshell is an example of this type of structure, which is hollow and curved.
What is a shell structure?
This type of force squeezes materials together, like when you press down on a spring.
What is compression?
Engineers use this force-spreading structure in bridges and doorways to support heavy loads.
What is an arch?
A building might crack or sink if this part of the structure is weak or unstable.
The weight of the bridge itself is this type of load.
What is the dead load?
Most buildings, including houses, are this type of structure because they use elements of solid, frame, and shell structures.
What is a combination structure?
This type of force is acting on a rope during a game of tug-of-war.
What is tension?
To make a structure stable, engineers must consider these four factors: magnitude, direction, point of application, and this.
What is plane of application?
Name one type of extreme condition that can cause a structure to fail.
What is an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or tsunami?
This type of bridge uses strong triangles to support weight.
What is a truss bridge?
Name one example of a natural structure and one example of a man-made structure.
What is a spider web (natural) and a bridge (man-made)?
An earthquake shaking a building is an example of this type of force.
What is an external force?
This is the strongest geometric shape used in structures.
What are triangles?
A bridge that shakes too much and collapses because of strong winds has failed due to this type of load.
What is a dynamic load?
Engineers build bridges with flexible materials to resist this force caused by earthquakes.
What is torsion?