There are three major types of bridges: the beam bridge, the arch bridge, and the suspension bridge.  The beam bridge can further be subdivided into different bridge designs displaying different trusses.  The suspension bridge offers two variations of cable support: the common suspension bridge and the cable-stayed bridge.  The main distinction in the properties of each bridge design lies in the size of a single span.  A span is the distance from one support to another.  For example, a span may be between two towers, two beams, or even two walls of a canyon.  The order of span size from smallest span to largest span is beam, arch, and suspension.  To view more information about each type of bridge, click on the links below: