Deck (bridge)

A structural element of its superstructure, it may be constructed of concrete, steel, open grating, or wood.

Sometimes the deck is covered by a railroad bed and track, asphalt concrete, or other form of pavement for ease of vehicle crossing.

On some bridges, such as a tied-arch or a cable-stayed, the deck is a primary structural element, carrying tension or compression to support the span.

Structural engineers have several principal categories of bridge decks, for the purposes of analytic techniques.

[2] A railway bridge with its track and ties supported on load carrying elements of the superstructure (floor beams, stringers or girders) is called an open deck.