Simulated BridgeThe simulation was through a software called West Point Bridge Builder which is installed on the classroom desktop computers. The simulated bridge project was intended to be a fun competition between classmates that would also prepare us for the static bridge project. To be successful in the competition, you had to submit a bridge that could hold a truck driving across it. To win, you had to submit a bridge that could hold a truck driving across in the least expensive way possible, If you view the top-middle of the picture, you will see my bridge cost about $300,000 to construct. The winner in my class built a bridge for about $187,000, which nobody else was close to (as far as I know).
A major takeaway from this project was that triangles are very structurally sound. As you can see, my bridge trusses consist of triangles throughout the entire span of the bridge. Also, the material being used to construct the bridge can be changed, which brings the overall cost down significantly, if used correctly. |