Design Process

Define the Problem: We are designing a Truss bridge in Bridge Builder that meets the requirements of Deck 12 meters above the water, Standard abutments, No Pier, No cable anchorages, Medium strength concrete, Standard two lanes, Pratt Through Truss, and Carbon steel components.

The bridge must also meet these requirements:

-- Each team member designed a bridge on their own and we got together and chose the best bridge that fit the requirements and had the lowest cost.

Evaluate and select a solution: Before taking a specific course of action, the group brainstormed over zoom, created a proxy structure out of card stocks, and tested them with blocks.
Detail the Design: We decided to split up the work by having each person build and design one bridge. We then chose one from the bridges; we chose one that had the lowest cost and highest efficiency, which was Raphael's design. We took the structure and copied it in ModelSmart3D were we tested it. The bridge withstood 220 pounds before collapsing.
Defend the Design: We all messed with the design until we got to the strongest and most cost efficient bridge.
Manufacture and Test: We tested and tested it until we were sure that Raphael's design worked every time.
Evaluate the Performance: This project went a lot smoother than the first. Due to the fact that we knew what to expect, we made a decisive plan from the beginning which allowed us to spread the work evenly. We finished our bridge designs in the first two days and had the rest of the week to allocate time towards the research project.
Prepare the Final Design Report: We spent our last workday (Thursday) preparing and perfecting our project.