What is meant by redundancy in bridge design?

• A. Several load paths exist; failure of one element does not cause collapse because others carry load.
• B. A single load path is enough for all loads.
• C. Redundancy is achieved by painting the structure with multiple colors.
• D. Redundancy is only about traffic flow.

Answer: (A)

Redundancy means building in multiple load paths so the bridge can still carry loads if one element fails. In practice, this ensures that if a member or connection is damaged, other parts of the structure share the load and prevent collapse. For example, a truss or girder system is arranged so loads can be distributed through alternate members and supports. The key idea is to avoid relying on a single path to carry all loads. The other choices miss this concept: redundancy isn’t about painting colors or about traffic flow.