Engineering
Managing Thermal Expansion in a Long-Span Steel Arch Bridge Deck
Quick fact
A 1,000-meter steel bridge deck can expand by about 12 centimeters over a 50°C temperature change, and without expansion joints, this would generate enormous internal stresses capable of buckling the structure.
Why this is interesting
On a hot summer day, the deck of a long steel arch bridge can be several centimeters longer than on a cold winter night. How do engineers let the bridge 'breathe' without falling apart?