It would be hard to find a person who has not gone across a bridge during his lifetime. But, have any of among you taken the trouble to look at the underneath of a bridge?, which helped you to cross over the river. Surely, for most of you, answer may be no.
Bridge is very much similar to a song which we everyday listen. Music invokes your feelings and let them free from your soul, which may be hard to describe from thousands of words. Similarly, correctly designed bridge will carry your physical body, from one river bank to another, with minimum possible discomfort to you.
Every song should have rhythm in it. There is not a single song which not possesses a rhythm. In the very same way, every bridge should have a deck. There can not exist a bridge,without a deck. There are different types of rhythms such as Rap, hip hop, pop, reggae, classical, country, etc. Identically there are lot of variations in bridge deck types as well. Solid slabs, box girders, Composite decks are the few examples to name.
Song is not completed without a singer. Actually singer is the person who holds the rhythm of the song. Correspondingly, abutment walls of the bridge hold the deck. Two abutments walls hold the bridge deck without falling it down. But it should be emphasized that ,if the rhythm is not attractive then the sweetness of the song may diminish even with the best singer sang it.It is same as for the bridge. Eventhough you have a strong abutments walls, if the deck is not viable against the loads, then the whole purpose of the bridge is in vain. So the design of the Bridge deck is paramount important.
Then we consider the lyrics. It is the backbone of the song. Stronger the lyrics, more it will revolve the whole song around it. Likewise foundation of the bridge is the backbone of the bridge. It transfer the whole loads of the bridge structure in to the underneath soil. Lyrics writing take enormous amount of effort. Bridge foundation is also not varying from that. Sometimes bridge foundation is the most costly part of the whole bridge construction.
Finally, good song will be a well integration of good rhythm, singer and lyrics. Likewise combination of stronger deck, robust abutments and durable foundation provide you a safer and durable bridge which will provide a comfortable travel for you.
