Span

noun

The distance a bridge, roof, or beam covers between its supports. The longer the span, the harder the engineering — because every extra metre adds more load the structure has to hold up without bending too far.

Civil & Structural Engineering — Monty
Go Deeper For parents & teachers
In structural engineering, the unsupported distance between two points of support in a horizontal member. Span dictates how much a structure deflects under load and what cross-section or material it needs. Long-span engineering — cable-stayed bridges, suspension bridges, large-span roofs — is a discipline in itself, because standard assumptions about static loading break down and dynamic effects (wind vibration, pedestrian-induced resonance) become dominant design drivers.

Appears In

The Burning Mountain Chapter 10 — Bridge of Nerves

"… Axel finished talking. Tower teams on both ends, cable lines along the span, signal lamps for traffic control, footing watch on the south bank - every …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 10 — Bridge of Nerves

"… ran one paw over the timber planks. Wet, but still fastened. Mid-span flex greater than he liked. Left rail brace warped. None of it impossible. None …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 10 — Bridge of Nerves

"The group started across. The bridge flexed. Not much. Enough. At mid-span, the injured ram stumbled, but a cub grabbed the guide line and steadied him …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 15 — Fire, Steam, and Signal

"… mud and boiling seep water. The bridge would not hold its full span much longer."

The Burning Mountain Chapter 15 — Fire, Steam, and Signal

"Shades looked once at the span. "Possible.""

See Also

Load Tension