Piers are substructures located at the ends of bridge spans at intermediate points between the abutments. Which term matches this description?

• A. Mast
• B. Nose Cone
• C. Pier
• D. Load

Answer: (C)

The idea here is identifying the substructure that supports the bridge deck between abutments. Piers are the vertical supports placed at intermediate points along a bridge, carrying the loads from the spans down to the foundations. They divide the bridge into multiple spans and provide intermediate support between the end abutments. In contrast, a mast is a different feature used on some bridge types to hold cables, a nose cone isn’t related to bridge structure, and load refers to the forces acting on the bridge rather than a substructure. So the term that matches the description is pier.