Which term describes the surface of the bridge deck that may be made of concrete, steel, or wood?

• A. Buckling
• B. Bearing
• C. Deflection
• D. Deck

Answer: (D)

The surface you travel on on a bridge is called the deck. It’s the horizontal platform that distributes loads to the supporting structure below, and it can be made from concrete, steel, or wood depending on the design. Buckling describes a failure mode where a member under compression buckles sideways, not the surface itself. Bearing refers to the supports that transfer loads and allow movement, not the riding surface. Deflection is the bending or vertical movement of a member under load, not the surface’s material. So the deck is precisely the term for the bridge’s riding surface.