Question

Two graceful arches support the roadway above. Usually arch bridges employ vertical supports called "spandrels" to distribute the weight of the roadway to the arch below, but the Natchez Trace Bridge was designed without spandrels to create a more open and aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Determine the meaning of the underlined word in the passage above.

Answer 1

the almost triangular space between one side of the outer curve of an arch, a wall, and the ceiling or framework.

the space between the shoulders of adjoining arches and the ceiling or molding above.