Bridge Project Part #1

Goal: Students will give a half hour in-class presentation on their particular bridge type in front of professional engineers
and architects. This class will demonstrate the methods of their bridge design, construction, purpose, failure modes and
style. This should be a critical analysis of their bridge and explain to the audience not just what the bridge looks like, but
HOW it works.
Learning Objectives:

This lesson should display the students clear understanding of their bridges design, and how its parts interact
and work.
This project will display the students understand of physics and mechanics in relation to their bridge design.
Students are expected to show not only what the bridge looks like, and its construction, but using engineering
terms, describe HOW and WHY the bridge works. They will also be expected to describe why their bridge is
employed, and its strengths and weaknesses, as well as possible ways the bridge may fail.
This project will display each students professional presentation skills, and refine their ability to discuss and
describe highly technical information to an intelligent and critical audience.
Through this project, the students will develop a knowledge base to begin the second stage of their projects:
bridge design and construction.

Project Deliverables and Deadlines:

DATE:
Thursday October 23rd, 2014

Tuesday October 28th, 2014

Friday October 31st, 2014

Friday November 7th, 2014

Thursday & Friday February

13th &14th

Deliverable & Description:

Team Bridge type selection preference.
Each team will list in order their preferred type of bridge. On 1-16,
Bridge assignments will be given. Two only two groups will be
assigned each of the 4 bridge types, check with classmates and
strategize.
Analysis 1 Due (500 word min or whatever it takes to do):
Famous Examples of your bridge type. How has the physics weve
covered in class relate to your bridge? What are the basic Physics
Principals which your Bridge displays, and how? What are the major
design elements of your bridge and what makes it unique in
comparison to other bridge types. You are encouraged to use images
or design documents to help explain your points and understanding.
First Design Document Due/Display to class:
Display in a CAD program of your choice a simple example of your
bridge. This display will show what members are in tension,
compression, torsion. Which members bear the greatest load and the
usual material composition in full scale designs.
Second Design Document Due/Display and Analysis 2 Due:
Display on your previous model the modes in which your bridge fails.
What the weaknesses of your bridge are, and how/why the materials
of your bridge are chosen to prevent these failures. How are these
weaknesses compensated for, or not, in full scale bridges or future
designs?
In class presentations