Lattice truss bridge

Imagine you and your friend were building a bridge in the park to cross a small stream. You decided to use long sticks to make the bridge, but you noticed that the sticks alone were not strong enough to support your weight. To make the bridge stronger, you came up with a design where the sticks are put together to form triangles. These triangles create a pattern called a lattice truss structure that makes the bridge strong enough to hold you and your friend safely.

In a real lattice truss bridge, engineers use stronger materials, like steel or concrete, to build a larger version of that bridge you made with your friend. They use computer programs to design the bridge and figure out how much weight it can hold. They also use different sizes and shapes of triangles to make the bridge even stronger.

When you drive or walk over a lattice truss bridge, you might notice that the bridge is not completely straight. This is because the design of the lattice truss structure allows the bridge to bend and flex with the weight of the traffic, instead of breaking under the pressure. Isn't that cool?