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Questions for Discussion: Firth of Forth Cantilever Bridge
Examine the Forth Cantilever Bridge. What are the forces at work? How do you think they are distributed so that they hold up the roadway in the middle? Make a sketch to explain. Could we build a bridge like this with our bodies, as they did? Why or why not? Act out the forces at work on the bridge, although not necessarily with a human load, and feel the tension in your arms. Try it with and without the compression pieces to see how important these are. Host David Macaulay says, "But very few [bridges] were built like this." Why do you think this is so?
