Compression: A force that squeezes an object from opposite directions, pushing two points towards each other. Smashing a can with your foot puts it under compression.
Load: The weight that something must support. A bridge has to support the weight of cars driving across it.
Pier: The base of a vertical support for a bridge. Usually it’s a big, concrete pad on which the towers sit.
Roadbed: The part of the bridge on which cars, trains, or pedestrians travel.
Tension: A force produced from stretching or pulling something in opposite directions. A tug-of-war rope is under tension.
![](https://discovere.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Building-a-Cable-Stayed-Bridge_image-child-with-cable-300x224.png)
![](https://discovere.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Building-a-Cable-Stayed-Bridge_image-child-with-cable-300x224.png)
A child helps connect a cable to the PVC tower. Credit: American Society of Civil Engineers.
![](https://discovere.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Building-a-Cable-Stayed-Bridge_image-fully-assembled-cable-stayed-bridge-300x225.png)
![](https://discovere.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Building-a-Cable-Stayed-Bridge_image-fully-assembled-cable-stayed-bridge-300x225.png)
A fully assembled cable-stayed bridge. Credit: American Society of Civil Engineers.
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