Week 3- Bridge Analysis

This week I visited a local Bridge and took pictures of it… here’s what I thought!

Burlington Bristol Bridge (BBB)

Location: 

             Crossing the Delaware River from Burlington New Jersey to Bristol Township, Pennsylvania

Bridge type: 

             Truss with a steel vertical lift

Traffic condition:

Traffic is very heavy during rush hour traffic (7-9am & 4-6pm). For a 2 lane bridge many trucks pass over it at once. It seems to have heavy usage and during rush hours traffic is constantly backed up.

Overall Condition:

                The bridge seems to be old and it was built in 1931, so repairs seem to be done regularly. The metal seems to be rusting. As you drive over the bridge it is very shaky.  It seems unstable. This bridge is a major pathway to Philadelphia and should be monitored regularly considering the constant usage. Another major area of concern is the center span of the bridge. This span can be lifted by the action of two large concrete slabs of slightly greater weight than the lifted, span moving in a slow downward motion. This will block traffic when they are fully down, this allows for boats to pass underneath.  This adds another area of concern. This bridge is very old and any failure while a boat was passing would be catastrophic.

Problems:

·         Rusting

·         Unstable

·         Overall weight sustained on a daily basis

·         Traffic

·         Size (aka only 2 lanes)

·         Age

                         

Last week in lab, we discussed our previous posts on teamwork; how effective teamwork can be obtained and how to avoid problems within a group. We also discussed truss bridges and their importance. We also watched videos of famous bride failures. This showed how important it is to design a good stable bridge. After the group discussion we split back up into groups and begun working on the project. Chelsea and Kelsey worked on building bridges on West Point Bridge Designer. They experimented with different truss styles and found a few designs that worked. I, on the other hand worked on our Blog. I wanted it to look friendlier and appealing. I started adding posts about who my teammates are and formatted the entire page with anew background and theme colors. I’m glad I finally figured out how to use the site with the help of Oliver Tillman’s Blogging expertise. This week in class we will discuss the West Point Bridge Designs and choose one to make on a small scale. Can’t wait! J

-Melissa Mercado