What is the purpose for the gaps in the road on the bridges?

Answer 1

Thermal expansion. look it up. heat expands and cold contracts. Even RR track-workers leave a near-microscopic gap to allow for this. There are expansion joints on all bridges over a certain size- One end ( of the span) is fixed- directly on the pier(s) the other end has a certain amount of expansion caused by , mainly temperature variations- hence Thermal expansion.The expansion joints are essentially automatic, and do not require operator attention. I used to work on bridges- and am a long-time railroad buff. If they didn't have gaps then the bridges and highways would crack and break which will cost money for the government to repair (the taxes we pay will pay for the cost of it.

Hope that it helped :)

Mickey this is the answer to 6 copy now

Answer 2

When pavement is laid they leave gaps in the pavement so that the slabs can expand and contract with the change in temperature. Without the gaps the concrete would buckle when it gets too hot or crack when it contracts from extreme cold. The gaps are filled with a resilient material. Modern pavement blocks are connected with pins to keep the edges in line.

When solids increase in temperature the atoms in it move further apart; so their length and volume also increases. Dropping temperatures cause shrinking.

The same principle also applies for buildings and bridges. Bridges and buildings have expansion joints because the steel supports, concrete, and framework do expand and contract differently with temperature changes.

For a short time, best practice did not require the expansion joints, assuming that the cracking was under control with improved concrete materials. However, this new pavement buckled on many interstate highways during summer heat waves, stopping traffic. Extremely expensive retrofitting has been necessary nationwide to cut out yard-long sections, drill holes, install expansion joints, pour new concrete, and repeat every few hundred feet.

Ice is a major problem for concrete when it seeps into the concrete along openings for the reinforcing steel and cracks that haven't been caulked properly. As the water freezes, it expands and breaks the concrete as well as rusting the reinforcing steel.

Answer 3

A bit hard to believe but it is because they grow and shrink over the day and nights and the seasons. Every material (with a few exceptions but not ones used in bridges or roads) expands when hot and contracts when cold). If the structures didn't have this "room the growth would pucker the surface and crack it, the cold would shrink the surface and pull the cracks open.

Cracked and broken bridges and roads are not good for cars or safety. The cracks in highways are there allow for expansion and contraction due to weather change.

Answer 4

The concrete gaps are called expansion joints to allow the concrete to expand and contract as the weather changes. Without expansion joint gaps, the concrete slabs would crack under the stress induced.

Answer 5

to accomodate expansion, and contraction