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Planning and Research: Before constructing our physical bridge, we did a "bridge kit", or a mini experiment using paper and bolts to see exactly how load impacted different types of bridges.
Process: This activity was fairly simple, as we simply followed the directions. Our main issue we ran into was when we transferred the document into google docs, the diagrams were lost, leading us to many moments of confusion from the written directions before we realized what had happened.
Review: As seen in the document above, there was an extremely large difference in the amount of weight an unsupported vs. supported bridge could hold. Our first "bridge" (just an index card) held only 5 bolts. After we reinforced this with trusses and arches, we held up to 10 bolts. This activity not only clearly demonstrated the importance of trusses and support, but gave inspiration on the kinds of things we could do to improve our own designs.
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