To make an effective truss it’s crucial to build it in triangular structures. You can test this for yourself by building little model bridge support pieces out of popsicle sticks.

The bridge is significant because Whipple (1801-1888), an 1830 Union College graduate, is recognized worldwide as the person who first correctly analyzed the stresses in a truss and put those ...

The bridge on Queen Anne Drive recently was retrofitted to make it more earthquake-resistant. Steel-truss bridges use metal framework systems to support the roadway on top.

Each truss section weighs over 8 million pounds and is built in Wisconsin and transported to St. Louis, where it is assembled and installed. The bridge was originally built in 1890.

The strengths and weaknesses of two large wooden bridge trusses, reconstructed from a 1918 bridge that was destroyed by arson, are being studied at Case Western Reserve University.