2-minute activity

Can you find a technology analogue to the collapse of the Tacoma Bridge?
The primary cause of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse was aeroelastic flutter. Wind
is allowed to pass through the structure in standard bridge design by incorporating
trusses. In the case of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, however, it was forced to move
above and below the structure, resulting in flow separation. In the presence of an object,
such flow separation can result in the formation of a Kármán vortex street as the flow
passes through the object.
The vortex frequency in the Kármán vortex street is the Strouhal frequency (f s) which is

given by;
where U is flow velocity, D is the characteristic length and S is Strouhal number (a
dimensionless quantity). Example: For a Reynolds number greater than 1000, S is 0.21.
In the case of the Tacoma Bridge, D was 8 ft. and S was 0.20.

Following the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the new bridge was redesigned
(based on lessons learned) and rebuilt in 1950. The newly constructed bridge
incorporated open trusses (triangular), stiffening struts, and allowed the wind to flow
freely through openings in the roadbeds. The twisting that developed in the new bridge
was significantly less severe than in the previous design.
Because of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge disaster, the Whitestone Bridge in the United
States was strengthened by adding trusses and openings below road decks to reduce
oscillations, which are still functional today. After the disaster, the idea of using dynamic
and modal analysis for bridge design gained much more traction.
The deflection theory serves as a template for more complex analytical methods. The
deflection theory serves as a model for complex analytical methods used by many
structural engineers to obtain stresses, deflections, etc. This eventually led to the
development of finite element analysis (FEA) as a generic tool for designing civil
engineering structures.
Nowadays, in bridge design, engineering simulation plays a crucial part in the testing
process. Using CFD to simulate wind loads and FEA to investigate stresses and the
structural behavior of bridges, engineers can prevent failures like the Tacoma Narrows
Bridge collapse and build better and stronger bridges and buildings.

After the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed, the new bridge was redesigned (based on
lessons learned) and rebuilt in 1950. The newly built bridge used open trusses
(triangular), stiffening struts, and allowed wind to flow freely through roadbed openings.
The twisting in the new bridge was much less severe than in the previous design.
Because of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge disaster, the Whitestone Bridge in the United
States was strengthened by adding trusses and openings beneath road decks to reduce
oscillations, and it is still operational today. Following the disaster, the concept of using
dynamic and modal analysis for bridge design gained traction.

10 mins activity
How would you change this thing?

We came up with a simple but more compact design for cellphones. The concept we
have is simpler than current phone designs, but it is more advanced in terms of
technology, as it can be folded in different directions. Furthermore, our design is lighter,
easier to handle, and more user-friendly. The idea for our phones' highlight is that it
does not require any charging at all. With the help of an advanced energy source, the
phones that we envision will be able to be used for an extended period of time without
needing to be charged at all. It includes a small battery that can last a lifetime. We
believe that this could be an innovation that can make a big impact in to our technology
in terms of sustainability.

One of the difficulties we face is coming up with new designs that aren't already on the
market. Aside from that, we consider an innovative idea in which we can solve a
problem for many users while also thinking of ways to conserve energy in order to be
sustainable and environmentally friendly. We consider how we can advance our
technology while also assisting in the resolution of environmental issues.
The approach we take for this activity differs from the last time because it is more
environmentally friendly. All this time, we have only been thinking about how we can
advance our technology without considering the long-term effects on our environment
that will harm us all in the future. What is the point of having all of this technology if we
don't have a world to live in?