What are the properties of using iron to make bridges?

What are the properties of using iron to make bridges?

Iron is used in construction of bridges and houses because it is capable of lifting the weight of different things at one time. We know that iron is a strong, hard and tough metal, hence it has high resisting power. So, it can resist high load, stress and strain.

Is iron used for bridges?

Iron is used to make steel, and steel is used in bridges because it is extremely strong and relatively cheap.

What properties make steel a good material to use for building bridges?

Steel is a useful bridge material because of its high strength in both compression and tension. Steel is also a ductile material, meaning that it can be bent or shaped easily into different forms. Steel sounds like the perfect material, but, steel is also expensive. Concrete is another important material.

Is iron used in construction?

Iron has become an important architectural building component. It has been used in four common forms: wrought iron, cast iron, sheet iron, and steel. Wrought iron was used for minor structural and decorative elements starting in the 18th century.

Why does iron used in building houses building and bridges?

Because it can be poured into forms while liquid to produce a great variety of structural elements, it provides an economical substitute for traditional materials, and it has the advantages of continuity (absence of joints) and of fusing with other materials.

Why metals are used in making bridges?

Best Material for Bridges: Steel Its strength and permanence are ideal for long-lasting structures, like bridges. The use of steel for bridges replaced earlier materials such as wood, concrete and stone.

Why iron is not used in construction?

Pig iron from blast furnace is an eutectic solution of carbon and steel, containing some 4.5\% of carbon, and it is too brittle to be used as anything but casting. It needs to be decarburized to make steel.

Why is iron not a good construction material?

Indeed, iron’s major drawback as a construction material is that it reacts with moist air (in a process called corrosion) to form the flaky, reddish-brown oxide we call rust. Iron reacts in lots of other ways too—with elements ranging from carbon, sulfur, and silicon to halogens such as chlorine.

What are the weaknesses of cast iron as a building material?

However, it is weak in tension and bending, and will fracture before it bends or distorts. It also loses strength and stiffness when subjected to high heat. In comparison with wrought iron or steel, cast iron is non-malleable, hard and brittle.

What was the most common construction method of using iron and steel in bridges?

In 1855, the Bessemer Method, created by Sir Henry Bessemer in England, made the production of steel more efficient. It allowed for the creation of steel with good tensile strength, however, wrought iron continued to be the more prevalent choice for iron-based building of the period.