Scribd
Upload
245 views

Why Bridges Collapse

The document discusses reasons why bridges may collapse, including fires during construction, earthquakes, defects in design or materials, and impacts from boats or trains. It notes that bridge failures are tragic events and engineers must understand why bridges fall to prevent accidents and design safer structures through improved technologies and construction practices.

Uploaded by

Natalia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
245 views

Why Bridges Collapse

The document discusses reasons why bridges may collapse, including fires during construction, earthquakes, defects in design or materials, and impacts from boats or trains. It notes that bridge failures are tragic events and engineers must understand why bridges fall to prevent accidents and design safer structures through improved technologies and construction practices.

Uploaded by

Natalia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Reading: B2

Why bridges collapse


Read a civil engineering article about why bridges fall to practise and improve your reading
skills.

Before reading
Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation task
Match the definitions (a–j) with the vocabulary (1–10).

Vocabulary Definitions
1. …… susceptible to something a. extremely important
2. …… scrutiny b. a deep valley with high sides
3. …… to collapse c. careful examination of something
4. …… tragic d. to fall down suddenly
5. …… a defect e. causing great sadness
6. …… to bring about f. to stop something from happening
7. …… to occur g. easily affected by something
8. …… crucial h. to happen
9. …… to prevent i. a fault in something
10. …… a gorge j. to make something happen

Reading text: Why bridges collapse


Some of the biggest and most expensive transportation projects in the world have involved
building bridges. Bridges are crucial links that carry cars, trucks and trains across bodies of
water, mountain gorges or other roads. As a result, they are one of the most important
aspects of civil engineering and are subject to intense scrutiny, especially when they collapse.
Bridge collapses can be tragic events, leading to loss of life and serious property damage.
That's why bridge engineers, designers and builders must always take their jobs very
seriously. The best way for them to prevent these accidents is to understand why bridges
collapse in the first place. Understanding bridge collapses can lead to major changes in the
design, construction and safety of future building projects. The following are main reasons
why bridges fall.

Fire
Historically, more bridges were made of wood and were much more susceptible to fire. This
was particularly true of old-fashioned train bridges, where the spark created by the steel
wheels and steel tracks could sometimes cause a bridge to catch fire and burn to the ground.

© 2019 British Council www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish


During construction
A large number of bridge accidents occur during the construction of the bridge itself. These
accidents are often due to an error made by the engineers, such as a miscalculation. The
bridge collapses under its own weight, and this can be deadly for the workers on it at the time.

Earthquakes
Earthquakes damage all structures, including bridges. Luckily, this kind of collapse is relatively
infrequent, especially with modern bridges. Engineers have learned to design bridges in
earthquake zones on areas that are much more resistant to movement.

By defect
Some bridge collapses are mysteries, and engineers only realise why after they conduct a
complete investigation. In some cases, this could happen because inferior-quality material
was used in the construction, or because of a defect in a key piece of the bridge. In other
cases, the bridge was designed only to support a certain amount of weight and no more.

Boat or train crash


Both of these kinds of accidents are extremely rare, but boats and trains can cause a bridge
to collapse for different reasons. With trains, it's the velocity of the impact that can bring a
bridge down. With boats, it's the very large mass they have that can bring about the collapse,
even if they are moving very slowly when it occurs.
The best way to avoid bridge failures is to plan for them. Modern technologies that can detect
structural weakness, safer working environments and better designs can all help to reduce
these terrible accidents.

© 2019 British Council www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish


Tasks

Task 1
Circle the correct answer.

1. Why are bridges considered so important according to the article?


a. They are important parts of a transportation network.
b. They cost a lot of money.
c. When they collapse it’s a serious problem.
2. How can the people who make bridges stop collapse?
a. By studying for longer at university
b. By asking engineering experts to check their work
c. By studying the reasons for a collapse
3. Which of the following reasons is given as the cause of a bridge catching fire?
a. A lightning strike
b. The contact between train tracks and train wheels
c. The extreme heat of a train
4. Which is an example of an error during construction?
a. The bridge catches fire.
b. A mistake is made in the calculations.
c. There is a natural disaster.
5. How common is it for an earthquake to destroy a bridge?
a. Very common in earthquakes zones
b. Relatively common
c. Relatively uncommon
6. Which of the following is not mentioned as a defect in bridge construction?
a. A badly made part
b. Inexperienced designers or engineers
c. Poor-quality materials
7. How does a train cause a bridge to collapse?
a. By being too heavy for a bridge to support
b. By being very big
c. By hitting a bridge very fast
8. What role can modern technology have in reducing bridge accidents?
a. It can detect weak spots in the construction.
b. It can stop human error.
c. It can select higher-quality materials.

© 2019 British Council www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish


Task 2
Circle the correct word to complete the sentences.

1. _____ a result, civil engineers study collapses closely.


a. As
b. For
c. In
2. The accident was subject _____ a full investigation.
a. for
b. of
c. to
3. Luckily there was no _____ of life in the accident.
a. lose
b. loss
c. lost
4. Young children are susceptible _____ illness.
a. for
b. of
c. to
5. It only takes a few minutes for the leaves to _____ fire.
a. catch
b. get
c. start
6. The accident was _____ to an error in construction.
a. cause
b. due
c. find
7. The bridge could collapse _____ its own weight.
a. below
b. in
c. under
8. The police will _____ an investigation.
a. conduct
b. do
c. make

Discussion
What are some of the most famous bridges you know? Have you ever visited them?

© 2019 British Council www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish

You might also like