Evaluation Questions

1. Describe the plan your group used to build the project

We planned to find out the most stable and efficient design we could, using the least amount of materials and thus maintaining the lowest budget we could.This goal was kept simple so the objective was as straightforward as possible

2. Describe the process your group used to accomplish the task

For both bridges we tested multiple designs, each member making a different design. We then made small adjustments on each and ended up using the best design as the final one, doing this process for the design of both bridges.

3. Describe how the principles you used to build the project and apply to the engineering fields you studied

This week, our studies focused on civil and structural engineering, so the principles we used to build the project came from the information we learned about several aspects of civil engineering, including force, compression, tension, etc. Each of these significant elements helped us to create a structurally sound bridge that can withstand the weight of automobiles and any other vehicles or pedestrians that cross it. In addition, in geotechnical engineering, we learned about the importance of a strong foundation for structures because without a sufficient density, no structure will be successful for any length of time.

4. Each member’s role in the project

We all worked together on creating the bridge design as Johnovan and Quinn shared their screens. Johnovan created the most successful bridge after we all tested our own designs, so we decided to continue with his design, planning to reduce costs and meet all of the requirements. Johnovan focused mainly on the Bridge Builder Software, and he and Quinn collaborated on the Model Smart 3D software version of the bridge. Everyone had a hand in the research paper. Kian, Quinn, and Johnovan researched the Q'eswachaka Bridge and it’s design process, Charlotte researched the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Faith researched the Freedom Tower in NYC. These served as our examples for the design process over the past few centuries. Kian wrote the introduction and Faith wrote the conclusion. Charlotte, Kian, and Quinn found pictures to go in the research paper. Kian set up the webpage and we all inserted the necessary elements to complete the web portfolio. We worked very well together this week.

5. Describe the successes and the obstacles your team encountered and how your team overcame the obstacles

One of the successes our group had was that we were able to create a 2D model of the bridge rather quickly that met all of the requirements. When making the first bridge, we used a standard triangular system to distribute the weight while using solid bars. Then, we chose 15% of the bars that have the least amount of force and turn them into the hollow bars. We then kept reducing the size of the bars that had the least amount of compression and tension to reduce the overall cost. This procedure was not that difficult for us and we were able to finish the bridge rather quickly. One of the obstacles we had was dealing with the Model Smart 3D application. When we started designing the second bridge, we did not expect the program to be counterintuitive. We learned the hard way that undo removes all the work you just did not just the last joint or member you placed. We also learned the hard way that we could not redo what we just undid. It took us a while to get used to the nuances of the program but once we did we were able to create the bridge.

6. What would your next steps be to improve your project?

The next steps to improve our project would possibly be to find a way to make the 2D bridge cheaper and or with less bars. When designing the bridge, we first had over 50% hollow tubes when converting the solid bars to tubes. But, we realized that the percentage of hollow tubes had to be 15% of the total bars. In turn, this caused the amount of our bridge to skyrocket as it almost doubled the previous price. We thought that if there were no restrictions on the amount of hollow tubes we could have, our price for the bridge could be much less. In addition, we would improve the Model Smart 3D bridge to make a more structurally sound bridge with a less amount of materials. Since we used a software that gave us an unlimited amount of materials, we were able to add as many as we pleased which caused our bridge to be rather large. So, to improve our project, we can limit the amount of balsa wood sticks to be as many as we would have if we made the bridge in real life. This would cause our bridge to be more practical as a design overall.

7. Describe the lessons that you learned and how you will apply these lessons to future projects

Through our work and trials, we learned several important lessons that can help us in future projects. For example, we learned that we need to prepare for the worst case scenario. Expecting bumper to bumper traffic and heavy cars allows for the design to endure the worst. Learning about forces (more specifically, how to calculate the force on each joint) helped us build a more stable bridge. Throughout the whole project, we slowly became better acquainted with the design process of a civil engineer, which will definitely assist us in future projects.

8. Knowing what you know now, how would you start your project differently?

We would try making our bridges more practical. We didn’t focus much on the amount of materials and resources used or the cost. If we worked on producing a design with less resources, we could probably reduce the cost even further. We would also be able to design the second bridge (the 3D Model Smart bridge) a lot quicker, now that we know how to use the application.