For this type of bridge, the bridge deck system is not the load carrying system.

• A. Suspension Bridge
• B. Cable-stayed Bridge
• C. Beam / Girder Bridge
• D. Arch Bridge

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that in a beam or girder bridge the primary load-carrying action comes from the girders spanning between supports, while the deck mainly acts as a floor to distribute traffic loads to those girders. Because the girders resist bending and transfer forces to the supports, the deck itself is not the main load-carrying system for this type. The deck provides a surface and helps distribute wheel loads into the girders, but it does not carry the span’s bending and shear in the way the girders do.

In contrast, other common bridge types rely on different members for the main load path: in suspension and cable-stayed bridges, the primary loads travel through cables to towers, with the deck acting largely as a supported platform; in arch bridges, the arch carries the majority of the load and the deck primarily serves as a roadway. So, this statement fits the beam/girder type, where the deck is not the principal load-carrying element.