A suspension bridge is a type of bridge where the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders, suspension bridges can span distances from 2,000 to 7,000 feet far longer than any other kind of bridge. It suspends the roadway from huge main cables, which extend from one end of the bridge to the other. These cables rest on top of high towers and are secured at each end by anchorages. A suspension bridge usually has two towers that hold up the main cables from these main cables hang vertical cables that are attached to the deck of the bridge.
When the load is applied to the suspension bridge, the deck slab possesses compression and then travels up the ropes, cables, or chains to transfer the compression to the towers. The towers then dissipate the compression directly into the earth by anchors. The supporting cables which run parallel to the bridge possess tension forces, and these are connected to anchorages. Bridge anchorages are massive concrete blocks that serve in dissipating the tension force to the ground.
