The Science of a Bridge Collapse

by Nikole Brooks Bethea

Overview

The environment is subjected to many natural and manmade disasters, from devastating hurricanes to explosive volcanoes to destructive oil spills. Look inside this book to learn about the science behind one of these deadly events, including why it happens, what its effects are, and how scientists are working to predict or prevent it. The Disaster Science series highlights the role of science in saving lives and property during disasters. Clear text, informative diagrams, and relevant sidebars engage students in learning about the real-world impact of scientists' work. Next Generation Science Standards Features, Science topics can be difficult or confusing to tackle. This book not only makes science understandable, but also goes behind the scenes to describe the real processes scientists use to reach conclusions and reduce loss of life and property in disasters. To build your knowledge of how science works, this book contains features that will help you learn the basics of science as outlined by the Next Generation Science Standards. Look for the following features throughout the book: How Science Works, These special sidebars discuss a specific example of how scientists study a disaster. You will learn how experiments, evidence, and analysis help us understand the world around us. Case Study, These features look at a major disaster and how it changed the way scientists understand that particular disaster type. Vivid details and photos bring the disaster and its aftermath to life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631376689
Publisher:	Cherry Lake Pub
Publication date:	08/01/2014
Series:	21st Century Skills Library: Disaster Science
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	870L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 A Disastrous Design 4

Chapter 2 Collapse by Scour 12

Chapter 3 Overloading Bridges 16

Chapter 4 Environmental Forces 20

Chapter 5 Collision and Accidents 26

Top Five Worst Bridge Collapses 30

Learn more 31

Glossary 32

Index 32

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2014
Gr 4–7—Filled with fascinating facts and photos, these information-packed volumes take on familiar and little-known catastrophes. While the details of these natural and human-made disasters will intrigue readers, the true focus of the books is how scientists employ the scientific method to improve past ideas and theories and potentially avoid future tragedies. Charts, diagrams, and illustrations will help readers better understand the scientific concepts presented, and thought-provoking sidebars pose questions for further contemplation and investigation. The inclusion of the "Top 5" at the end of each volume provides some sobering statistics; however, the criteria for these assertions are unclear. For the most part, the authors are experts in their respective fields, giving the text greater credibility, but the lack of citations is noticeable and troubling. Solid offerings, despite these flaws.

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