BUILDING BIG Bridge basics
Bridge Basics
Tuesdays in October on PBS (check local listings) _  

Bridges | Domes | Skyscrapers | Dams| Tunnels

Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Cable-stayed bridge:
Sunshine Skyway Bridge
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Cable-Stayed Bridge
The cable-stayed bridge, like the suspension bridge, supports the roadway with massive steel cables, but in a different way. The cables run directly from the roadway up to a tower, forming a unique "A" shape.

Cable-stayed bridges, like the Sunshine Skyway in Florida, require less cable and can be built much faster than suspension bridges. Cable-stayed bridges are becoming the most popular bridges for medium-length spans (between 500 and 3,000 feet).


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_There's even more to explore at the BUILDING BIG web site, check it out at www.pbs.org/buildingbig.



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BUILDING BIG is a coproduction of the WGBH Science Unit and Production Group, Inc., and is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston.

Major funding is provided by the National Science Foundation. Additional funding comes from the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the Corporation for Public Broadcastin, and public television viewers.

National corporate sponsorship is provided by the American Society of Civil Engineers and by Siemens.

The BUILDING BIG web site was produced for PBS Online by WGBH.
BUILDING BIG web site ©2000 WGBH Educational Foundation.