Bridges are often grouped into five categories:

arch bridges,
beam (girder) bridges,
cantilever bridges (also called girder bridges with cantilevered overhang)
suspension bridges,
cable-stayed bridges.

The scope (or central span) is the distance between two bridge supports (piles, poles, abutments). It varies between a few tens of meters and two kilometers to the largest bridge in the world (suspended Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan).

The character animation offers a sensory approach to forces. These forces are mainly of two types: compression (the characters push) and tension (characters pull).

These materials are precisely chosen for their resistance to either of these forces. Stone and concrete arch bridges and piers are highly resistant to compression, steel hangers and steel trusses are highly resistant to tension.