The history of bridges is also the history of structural engineering. The problem of passing a span by building a fixed structure has been repeated over time with different solutions. As knowledge of materials and the way they resist and fracture progressed, bridges were built increasingly higher and with greater spans and with less use of materials. Wood was perhaps the first material used, then stone and brick, which gave way to steel and concrete in the 19th century. And the evolution still continues today: currently new carbon fiber bridges are designed[1]​ with larger spans and thicknesses never seen before.

The first bridges were made with natural elements, such as a log dropped on a stream or stones placed in a river. These first bridges would be a combination of rocks stacked as pillars supporting the timbers that functioned as boards. It is known that some American tribes used trees and reeds to build walkways that allowed them to cross holes in caves. Over time they knew how to create ropes that allowed the different elements of the bridge to be joined. These ropes were also used to create primitive rope bridges tied to the two sides that they wanted to cross. In a way, this is how suspension bridges were born.

Contenido

El 1 de enero de 1781 se inauguró el puente de Coalbrookdale, el primero fabricado en hierro fundido.[8]​ El puente (aún hoy en pie) es un puente arco metálico, a imitación de los de piedra, pero el material es completamente distinto, más resistente y más liviano. En 1795 el río se desbordó destruyendo todos los puentes que encontró, excepto el de Coalbrookdale, lo que hizo que la gente empezara a confiar en este tipo de puentes.

Lattice and corbel bridges

In 1890, the Forth Bridge with two spans was built in Scotland. This bridge represents a new typology, that of corbel bridges. It consisted of making the beams work as cantilevers, which facilitated the construction of the bridge.