Design Process

Define the Problem - The bridge should be able to withstand the stress of bricks placed in the center and the shaking of a table underneath the legs to replicate earthquakes.

Generate Alternative Solutions - Some ways we could have made alternative solutions are that we could have made our base more compact and reduce the amount of glue we used on the top to make the bridge more aesthetically pleasing.

Evaluate and Select a Solution - After lots of time spent on the online bridge builders, we determined that building a truss bridge with a smaller profile would be the most effective option to maximize the capabilities of our materials.

Detail the Design - Basic truss bridge that used interlocking planks as supports and smaller sticks to create the triangles in the truss. we also created layers of 36" and 12" planks to create a stable foundation for the bricks to be placed on.

Defend the Design - The truss bridge is a tried and true method of creating a bridge capable to support its own weight and more.

Manufacture and Test the Design - Through the five different bridge models we made, whether physical or virtual, we worked collaboratively. For the first Bridge Kit, we followed instructions given by our TAs, finding out the weight differential with adding more support systems. Using our knowledge from this model, we designed a bridge on BridgeDesigner that followed all the requirements, regarding levels of tension and compression forces. We then made a Model3D bridge that was based on the simulation to see the forces and if we had enough resources to hold the maximum amount of bricks. Our final prototype was a 3D model made on TinkerCAD then replicated our final design pretty exact.

Evaluate the Performance of the Design - Initially, our bridge failed to hold four bricks and it fell over. Nothing on the actual bridge failed; it was a combination of offset brick placement and lack of tape securing the base to the ground. However, the bridge sustained severe damage after it fell. However, we decided to try it again anyways to see how much it could sustain. The supports slowly collapsed in on themselves as we added bricks, but the bricks stacked so tall that the truss structure was stopped from falling in. After placing 8 bricks, we decided to call it off as the bridge was almost broken and we wanted to preserve it.

Prepare the Final Design Report - We started our final design on Wednesday morning and worked through a day and a half, perfecting our design, using what we had learned from our previous four models. After double-checking the dimensions of the shake table bases, we made the modification of widening our bridge's legs on Thursday morning, before the final test of our bridge's integrity.