Engineering & Infrastructure

Truss Bridge: A Triangle That Failed in 1876, 1907, 2007

A triangle can't change shape without one side changing length, and that fact alone explains three of history's deadliest bridge collapses: Ashtabula, Quebec, and I-35W.

Arch Bridge: The Shape Rome Swore Would Last Forever

A 106 AD Roman bridge was inscribed with a promise to stand forever. It has been blown up four times since, always by soldiers, never once for a structural reason.

Cantilever Bridge: The Human Model That Sold a Design in 1887

In 1887, two engineers sat on chairs with a man suspended between them to demonstrate a bridge design that would soon hold the world span record for 29 years.