cover
First published in 2006 by Red Rocket Readers, an imprint of Flying Start Books Ltd.
Reprinted 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.
13/45 Karepiro Drive, Auckland 0932, New Zealand.
story John Lockyer
Printed in New Zealand
Photographs on cover and pages 4, 6, 12 supplied by iStock Photo
All other photographs supplied by Jupiter Unlimited
This book is copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without permission in writing
from the publisher.
redrocketreaders.com
Word Count = 466
People have always wanted to move from one place to another,
so they have built bridges. Some bridges are natural and some
are built by people. What are bridges built over? Have you crossed
a bridge today? What did it go over? How are bridges built?
Use Teacher Talk to stimulate discussion of topic.
Develop research skills based on this topic.
Use Table of Contents to locate specific information.
Refer to Glossary to clarify basic concepts.
Identify suffixes er and est for comparison.
Use commas for phrasing and fluency.
Notice compound word: earthquake
Use captions to expand on text.
Promote drama, writing or art as follow-up activities.
Find learning resources to extend and reinforce the literacy
strategies in this title @ redrocketreaders.com
Sight
Words
Teacher
Talk
Teaching
Plan
any build enough join last must right strong
ISBN 978-1-776853-75-5
written by John Lockyer
Contents Page
What are big bridges? 2-3
Bridge-building 4-5
Beam bridges 6-7
Arch bridges 8-9
Suspension bridges 10-11
Cable-stayed bridges 12-13
Strong shapes 14-15
Future bridges 16
Building Big Bridges
Big bridges carry vehicles and people over water ,
valleys , roads , and railways . They help people to get
from one place to another .
Big bridges must be made of materials that wont
bend , crack , or crumble . Most big bridges are built
of concrete or steel because these materials are
strong enough to last a long time .
Before a new bridge is built , bridge-builders work out
how long and how high it needs to be . They look at the
land and any water the bridge will cross . They think
about how many vehicles and people will use the bridge .
bridge-building
There are many different sizes and shapes of bridges
in the world . There are bridges that swing and lift
and float , but there are really only four kinds .
A beam bridge is made of one or more pieces of
concrete or steel . The beams are held up at each
end by the ground or by piers , which are the
bridge supports . A long beam bridge is held up by
piers in the middle .
beam bridge
This beam bridge in Sweden carries vehicles
across the water . It makes the journey much
shorter for the traffic .
An arch bridge is built from stone , brick , concrete
or metal . Huge blocks and piers are placed at each
end and sometimes in the middle of the bridge .
After cranes lift the arches onto the blocks , a road
is built between the piers .
An arch bridge is strong because all the weight on
the arch is spread along the curve to the ground .
This stone arch bridge in France was built more than
two thousand years ago . There were no cranes to
help with bridge-building then !
arch bridge
A suspension bridge has a road that hangs from
strong steel cables . The cables are held up by tall
towers . Each cable is made out of thousands of
strands of steel wire . They are fixed to concrete
anchors at each end of the bridge .
suspension bridge
Most long bridges are suspension bridges .
This suspension bridge in the USA is called
the Golden Gate Bridge .
l
A cable-stayed bridge is like a suspension bridge , but
the road doesnt hang from cables . Instead , the cables
fix each section of the bridge to a tower and a pier .
cable-stayed bridge
Cable-stayed bridges are cheaper and easier to build
than suspension bridges . This cable-stayed bridge in
France is the tallest bridge in the world .
Big bridges must carry heavy loads . Wind , earthquakes ,
and traffic make bridges bend and shake . Big bridges
have to be made in the right shapes and joined together
the right way , or they will not be safe .
,