Force: a push or pull on an object
Loads: creates a force on a structure
Dead Load: weight of the permanent, non-moveable parts of a structure
Live Load: imposed weight on the structure, moveable part, or uses on a bridge
Compression: a pressing or pushing force that squeezes a material together,
Tension: a stretching force that pulls on a material
Deck: platform extending horizontally that often carries the roadway
Girder: a horizontal beam used for support
Span: distance (dimension) of a bridge between two supports
Stress: the force acting on a body divided by the body's cross-sectional area
Torsion: the act of twisting, which can result from unevenly placed loads
Shear: a force that causes one part of a material to slide past another
Bending: a combination of forces that cause one part of a material to be in compression and another part to be in tension
Chords: long horizontal members
Member: each length of wood that combine to make a truss
Diagonal: slanting members
Post: vertical members
