ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Box girder bridge

A box girder bridge is like a big, strong, rectangular tube that helps people and cars go over a river, road, or other obstacle. The bridge is made out of sturdy materials like steel, concrete or composite materials which are joined together to create a strong, box-shaped structure.

The box girder bridge has four sides, a bottom and a top, just like a cereal box that you might have at home. But it’s much bigger, much, much bigger! The top surface of the bridge is called a deck, and it is where cars and people walk or drive across. The bottom surface is called a foundation, and it is what anchors the bridge to the ground.

Inside the box girder, there are beams and posts that make the structure stronger. These beams and posts help to distribute the weight of the cars and people traveling over the bridge, evenly and successfully.

Box girder bridges are often used for long spans, where the distance between the two sides of the obstacle is very long. This is because they are very safe, strong and reliable, and can support a lot of weight. Box girder bridges are also called box section bridges, because of their rectangular shape, and they can be found all over the world.