Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BRIDGE
BRIDGE
• Idea Selection
Prototype Selection
Implementation
• Full-Scale Prototype Construction
• Prototype Testing
• Engineering Analysis w/ software
• Redesign
• Final bridge construction
• Final Test Competition!
Project Constraints
2” x 6”
thin plate
testing jig
Building
Materials
Load at Failure(lbs)
Score= ---------------------------
Weight of Bridge (lbs)
• Mechanics of Materials
• Bridge Examples
• Construction Methods & Hints!
What is the easiest way to
break a tongue depressor?
• Pull?
• Push?
• Twist?
• Shear?
• Bend?
• DON’Ts
– avoid bending bridge members when possible.
– avoid compressing long bridge members -
causes buckling (a kind of bending).
• DO’s
– load members in tension and compression
(short) when possible.
– brace bending members when possible.
Let’s examine some existing
bridge designs and see….
• Beam
• Arch
• Suspension
• Truss
• Pre-Stressed Box Girder
Beam vs.
=
Axis of
bending Tension
Steel
Arch
• Puts members in compression.
• Need horizontal support at abutments.
Abutment
Suspension
• Puts members in tension.
• Carries weight up to the top of the towers.
• Good for long spans.
Truss
• Loads members in tension and compression.
• Members pinned at a joints(Moment = 0).
• Triangles provide stability and strength.
•Top members in Compression.
•Bottom members in Tension.
I
• Label members in T and C (by inspection)?
C C
T T T
How can you improve your
bridge design?
• Incorporate truss structure (triangles).
• Design a 3-D structure from the start!
• Use short members in compression.
• Use string for tension members.
• Avoid overloading joints.
• Strengthen base supports and load point.
• Maximize moment of inertia of cross-section.
Today’s work – Component test
Purpose: to find out the strength and characteristics of the
bridge building materials.