Week 7: Team Update

            In the previous week, the team was able to see the bridge in action. The bridge was suspended across a distance of twenty four inches. An apparatus was then placed through the bridge with a bucket of sand attached to its end. The bucket was able to be filled about three quarters of the way full. This in turn meant that the bridge was able to hold 47.8 pounds. After minor adjustments to week five’s design, the bridge design in week six was able to hold 11.8 ponds more than its previous design. The bridge did not break due to the weight of the sand; it broke because of one of the end points. With more analysis and a few adjustments, the team will be able to stabilize the bridge and allow it to hold even more weight. The bridge design cost $207,500 and had an efficiency cost of $4,341.

            Adjustments must be made to improve the stability and cost of the bridge. The removal of unnecessary pieces from the middle of the bridge, the cost can be reduced by at least $10,000. The team must also discover a way to keep the end joints from slipping out of place. Fixing these issues can cause the total weight the bridge can hold to increase and the price of the bridge to decrease. A lower price tag and greater strength and stability leads to a much improved efficiency cost.

            In the weeks to come the team must transform the bridge from two feet long to three feet long. The biggest challenge is going to be tweaking the design to extend its distance. Not only does the team need to develop a way to make the bridge longer but also how that will affect the end points and all of the weak points of the bridge.