A1- McSorley

My goal for this design was to have an original Truss Bridge, with supports on both the bottom and the top. I originally had just the triangles, but the bridge was too week, so I added downward supports on the top of the bridge to support it.

My bridge was originally only a top Truss bridge, but I added the bottom for extra support. I used Carbon steel throughout for its strength (even though it was the most expensive). Also I added crossbars on the top Truss because the triangle formation wasn't strong enough on its own.

My bridge currently costs $470, 270.98. This cost could be improved, however, if we replaced the strong carbon steel on the ends of the bridge with maybe something a bit cheaper. We would of course make sure that we watch the compression and tension when testing a different material, and compare it to the carbon steel to make sure it is safe. From this bridge design I have learned that there are millions of ways to build one bridge. When creating a bridge you kind of just start with a basic idea and add off of that as you go. Improvements can always be made, and a stronger bridge can always be created. 

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

A1 Mercado

1. The object of my bridge design is to create a bridge that worked and was sturdy as possible. My original design did not have the top section but it also sagged more. The top section was added for weight displacement.

2.                            

3.                              

4. Load test Results

 

5. I planned on keeping the design as simple as possible. Usually the simpler the design the better. This changed with the addition of the top piece for stability.

6.The final cost of my bridge was cost $592,297.07. The costs increased when I added the top portion for stability and changed the inner members to high strength low alloy steel. If I change the materials the cost will decrease immensely.

7. What I learned that building a bridge is easy but keeping the cost down is difficult.

Assignment for week 3: Research Question

            During this week in class we had a discussion about teamwork, and different ways of working through problems that could arise. We moved on to continue talking about bridges and their design and different ways we should go about designing our bridge. When we split off into groups, Melissa began to work on editing the blog (which it turned out fantastic), while Chelsea and I played around with West Point Bridge design. We found designs that work, but mostly those that don’t work. In the end we have two designs that need minor changes, but that I think will end up working great in the end. Our team has agreed to meet this coming Monday to finalize our three West Point Bridge designs, make sure we have the snapshots and have uploaded them to the blog. During that meeting we also plan to talk about how we want to go about this project, what materials we will use, and so forth.

            Next week in class we will have a guest coming in to talk to us about the Library resources that we have available to us for this project. Mr. Jay Bhatt will help us answer questions about bridges by using the online resources available through the library website. If I were to ask him a few questions, I would start off by asking him what the strongest, yet most cost efficient, material today is to build a bridge. This could be used in my project, by thinking about that material we could find a material with similar qualities, just on a smaller scale. Next, I would ask him about the process used to create bridges over water. After driving to Virginia today for a Tournament, and going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, my friends and I wondered how the process worked. Did they barricade off the sections, and then create the supports from there? Lastly, I would ask about how bridges are able to withstand natural disasters. What makes them stand against hurricanes, tornadoes, and strong storms as well as they do? These are all questions that I think the library could provide useful resources for.

Kelsey McSorley 

blog design credit - oliver tillman

Week 2: Teamwork

        My group mates and I will be participating and competing in the faculty suggested Bridge Design Challenge. In this past week’s lab, the main objectives of the project and deliverables to be expected were discussed. The bridge of topic is the truss bridge, a structure that can be seen throughout the world and history. Primarily, it is a simple formation, yet very complex concept, that consists only of triangles. Our job as a team will be to take what we know and elevate it, practically, as much as we can. We were shown multiple examples of truss bridges that exist today. These can be studied and used as references as we begin to segue into the composition of the bridge. In addition, we were shown a software that will become a major tool when it comes time to test our construction. Lastly, everyone separated into their teams to create the blog that will be used to record our weekly progress.

        Teamwork is a key component in this project. If we cannot be civil to one another when discussing ideas, it will be nearly impossible to get anything done. However, and fortunately for us, we all get along well outside of the classroom and sometimes even collaborate on homework so I feel that I can predict that this will not be too much of a problem. In our case, I believe that making decisions and arranging meeting times will be our biggest obstacles. Between the three of us, there are a lot of ideas flowing. There is the possibility that there will be disagreements when expressing these ideas. This can be solved by addressing one another’s positive aspects as opposed to rejecting the entire thought. We will also have to consider why the idea might not work so that we can be careful not to apply it to our final construction. Arranging meeting times may also be a slight problem. With our busy schedules and extracurriculars, I believe this might become our biggest issue. We must sit down and openly discuss how this can be resolved. Overall, I feel that three of us have a successful work ethic and will work well together during this project. I’m very excited to use this project as a chance to get to know my future roommates better! (:

Chelsea Moss

Week 1: Pre-Lab Discussion: Teamwork

This week in class we discussed the overall objectives of this engineering section. Basically, over the course of 10 weeks we will learn about structure and design a bridge to withstand certain variables. In class we also learned about West Point Bridge Designer. We saw how certain designs could never provide a stable bridge. We also learned about tension and compression within a bridge. at the end of class I met with my teammates and we put together our blog that will chart our weekly progress.

 A major topic of discussion in this class is teamwork. Teamwork is essential to success in any group tasks. Good effective teamwork entails all 3 of the group members including myself working well together. I believe the biggest issues that my team will face that can effect our teamwork skills, are making decisions and arranging meeting times.  Due to our busy schedules and extracurricular activities it may be hard to find times to get together during the week.  This problem can easily be solved by arranging meeting times during the weekend. Another issue that will be faced is making a group decision about the project. Everyone has different ideas and it may be hard to agree on a solution. This problem can be avoided by always speaking calmly when arguing a point.  If someone has an idea everyone must listen and acknowledge the positive aspects of the idea. If a team member does not see eye to eye on an idea they can calmly state the positive aspects about the idea and then state the reasons why the idea may not work. All these strategies will result in good teamwork.

Overall I feel that between the 3 of us we will have a strong team and good teamwork skills. We all get along in normal situations so, I do not see how this would be any different. I am very excited for this project and I cannot wait to get started! 

~C. Melissa Mercado