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See invisible stress as heat maps reveal where your bridge will fail first—and how smart design spreads forces to prevent catastrophic collapse
Part of Build A Bridge That Holds 100 Coins
Educational content slides
When you put weight on a bridge, the force doesn't spread magically—it follows the structure.
Load distribution = how forces spread through a structure from the point of application to the supports.
Key concepts:
Think of it like water flowing: Water takes the easiest path downhill. Forces take the path of least resistance through the structure.
Test your understanding with this quiz.
Two bridges carry the same total weight. Bridge A concentrates all weight on one beam. Bridge B distributes weight across 10 beams. Which is stronger?
Complete this exercise and get AI-powered feedback.
Understanding where stress concentrates helps you predict failures before they happen—and design better structures from the start.
Think about: Where do forces enter? Where do they exit? What path do they take? Where might stress concentrate?