This article is concerned with a particular type of suspension bridge, the suspended-deck type. For an index to the several types see
suspension bridge types. A suspension bridge is a type of
bridge that has been created since ancient times as early as 100 AD.
Simple suspension bridges, for use by
pedestrians and livestock, are still constructed, based upon the ancient
Inca rope bridge. One of the oldest of
engineering forms, suspension bridges were constructed by primitive peoples using
vines for
cables and mounting the roadway directly on the cables. A much stronger type was introduced in
India about the 4th century AD that used cables of plaited
bamboo and later of
iron chain. Suspended well from two high locations over a river or canyon, simple suspension bridges follow a shallow downward arc and are not suited for modern roads and railroads. Advances in materials and design led to the development of the suspended-deck suspension bridge, a modern bridge capable of carrying
vehicles and
light rail. Instead of the deck following the downward arc of the main load-bearing
cables (or chains), these cables are suspended between towers, and vertical suspender cables carry the weight of the deck below, upon which traffic crosses. This arrangement allows the deck to be level or to arc slightly upward for additional clearance.
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