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You have had a very successful term building and advising on many projects!

For your final display of knowledge and skill, you have been requested to design and construct a bridge. Your bridge, like all of the projects that you have designed so far, must be strong, stable, safe, and inexpensive, and must display the knowledge that you have learned throughout your career as an engineer.

I understand that my bridge must follow these specific design requirements: _________ My bridge must span a gap that is at least 12 inches long( 30 cm), but no longer than 24 inches long.( 60 cm) (remember bigger and/or longer is not always the strongest!) _________ My bridge must be at least 6 inches (150cm)wide. _________ My bridge must clear at least 4 inches (10cm)from the floor. _________ My bridge must be made with various (at least 4) materials from the house that I have put together to form a strong structure. (Please do NOT use pieces of plywood to build this project we already know that plywood is strong. What kind of materials can you strategically piece together to create something strong??) _________ My bridge can hold 35lbs for 7 seconds without showing signs of weakening? (There will be three levels of weight tested on your bridge, 35 lbs. weights, your own body weight, and if it is still standing, Mrs. Morrisons body weight!) _________ My bridge must be one of the types we have learned about: An arch bridge, A beam bridge, or a Suspension Bridge.

A Sketch of My Bridge Design

Here is a list of my learning that will help me build this bridge: Arch bridge - Arch bridges have great natural strength. Instead of pushing straight down, the weight of an arch bridge is carried outward along the curve of the arch to the supports at each end. These supports, called the abutments, carry the load and keep the ends of the bridge from spreading outward. Arch bridges must be made of materials that are strong under compression. Beam Bridge - A beam or "girder" bridge is the simplest and most inexpensive kind of bridge. In its most basic form, a beam bridge consists of a horizontal beam that is supported at each end by piers. The weight of the beam pushes straight down on the piers. Suspension Bridge - a suspension bridge suspends the roadway with huge main cables, which extend from one end of the bridge to the other. These cables rest atop high towers and are secured at each end by anchorages. The towers enable engineers to stretch the main cables over long distances. The cables carry most of the bridges weight to the anchorages, which are embedded in either solid rock or massive concrete blocks. Inside the anchorages, the cables are spread over a large area to evenly distribute the load and to prevent the cables from breaking free.

An arch is strong because it distributes the weight across it right down to the supporting pillars (called abutments). A beam runs horizontally and is supported by piers. A box girder beam is the strongest because it is stable and lightweight. The wider the base of an arch is, the stronger and more stable it is. A pillar stands vertically and supports a structure Using a number of smaller pillars is stronger and more stable than using one large one. The strongest shape of pillar is cylindrical because it has no corners or edges that weaken it. The thicker the material (such as paper) the stronger it is. The wider and shorter a container is, the more stable it is because it has a low center of gravity. How materials are joined together affects the stability of a structure the more ridged/heavy/thick/solid the method of joining, the stronger and more stable the structure will be. When stacking/layering a material, it is best to have an in interlocking, misaligned pattern so that the structure does not have a weak spot. Triangles are the strongest shape to build with because they distribute pressure/weight evenly to all of the sides of its shape. Trusses are structures that are made up of triangles. You will likely see trusses on bridges, in beams, and in roofs of buildings. It is important to use the right materials for the job, even if they tend to cost more, so that the structure is safe.

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