Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Week 8: Team Update

The previous week students learned how to calculate the applied forces that are exerted on the beams and connection points of the bridge. After first students were given resources to watch a video on how the calculations were computed. In addition, students were able to expand the size of the bridge from two feet to the size of three feet. In general, the majority of students furthered their current design because it appeared to be the most efficient bridge at the moment. The calculations of the beams and connection joints were found and were computed by Bridge Designer. It can be seen below in figure 1.


The upcoming week will include new ideas on improving the bridge after the design have been calculated. Different angles, lengths of beams, and connectors will most likely be changed because students will gain more knowledge about bridges.

Some difficulties that will seen will occur when the forces of the bridge are being calculated. Human error could occur during the calculations. In addition, certain changes may not be possible to occur because certain materials are not readily available.

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