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5 Steps to Building a Model Bridge
This ebook, 5 Steps to Building a Model Bridge PDF answers the most common questions people have about building bridges. In the ebook I outline the steps of building a model bridge, and then walk people through the actual construction of a bridge. The ebook contains many photos and illustrations, as well as 25 bonus tips.
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Here is a condensed version of the table of contents:
#1: Know the rules!
- Be able to define in your own words what the bridge must accomplish
- Do not get disqualified
#2: Design the bridge
- Design the bridge around the loading points
- Choose a truss to use
- Draw the bridge to scale
#3: Gather Materials
- Wood
- Tools
- Workspace
#4: Build the bridge
- Step One
- Step Two
- Double check for leaning
#5: Testing and Evaluation
- Testing Procedures
- Evaluation Procedures
If what you’re building is a home then general contracting is something to try to learn as much about as possible before hiring new home builders to work on your home. The process of building a home is something that still might involve the use of a remodeling contractor so that’s something to keep in mind.
Hi Garrete,I am studing engineering and i am in 2nd years.Because of my interest in bridge design me and my group have taken part in a competition held in our college the problem assigned to us is:
Design a three dimensional self-supporting model bridge. The physical constraints of the bridge
are according to the following specifications:
Span 500 mm
Height 100 mm (minimum)
Width 120 mm (minimum)
DESIGN CONSTRAINTS/SPECIFICATIONS
The bridge should permit unobstructed movement over its deck ( there should be no
members inside the bridge ) No part of the deck should be more than 50 mm above the abutments (support level)
LOADING SPECIFICATIONS (FOR TESTING)
The rate of loading shall be specified during the time of the contest. Holding the load-carrier during loading is not allowed.
The bridge will be loaded by hanging weights from a 5 mm thick mica board of size 180
mm x 80 mm, through a V-bolt attached to it with spacing(l) between legs being 120 mm.
There are few more specifications and we have to design the bridge on paper and build a model with materials provided by college.
I request you to suggest me as i am a beginner.Thankyou.
Hi Garreti am studding engineering ….. i want to build a model bridge with wood … i need yr help…
what software you used to design?
Hi Garret
I’m an Engineering student at CUT and we have been assigned to build a popsicle stick bridge with cirtain restriction.
One which im not completely confident to do is this:
“• The bridge deck must have a minimum camber (upward curve) of 30 mm along the longitudinal axis of the bridge”
You think you can help me out?
Thanks
Rian
i love this website(:
thanks for the help i enpjoyed it so much
i agree
Hi Garret
Nice eBook. However, as a structural engineer I can tell you that you are making some fundamental errors in the ebook. Members taking the largest load does not always need to be the bigger member (for efficiency). This is mistake many young engineers make. Increasing the size of your member actually ‘attracts’ more load and so you achieve the opposite. I would suggest you have an engineer have a look at your ebook.
Besides that – good work.
Hello Menno,
Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to take any engineering classes, and base my ebook on my observations from my time spent building model bridges. The ebook wasn’t really meant to be a manual for learning the in-depth engineering concepts that would be useful for building bridges. However, I would love the chance to chat with an engineer about my ebook, and about bridges in general. I always strive to learn more about how bridges work, so thank you for informing me about this phenomena where making a member larger will increase the load acting on it. Do you have any resources where I could learn more about this? Is this something that always happens, or does it depend on the location of the member in the truss?
Great book and website. I do not agree with the previous comment that the larger members “attract” more load. This would be true if stiffness of members were a factor (moment resistance), but since this is a simple truss your assumptions are basically correct: larger loads should have larger members to reduce the stress (force per unit of cross sectional area) — especially the compression members, due to buckling.
hi i havent read your ebook yet, but this information is really helpful!
Enjoyed reading your e-book. There is a small typo on the trusses page where you use the word “implantation” rather then “implementation.” Thought you might want to know.
I’m wondering if you’ve noticed that there appears to be a ca. 7-8 year cycle in balsa wood strength. This is an observation based on 29-years of balsa bridge contests.
Peter, thanks for the comment and pointing out the typo.
I had not noticed that trend of balsa wood strength that you mention. I have only been working with Balsa for 9 years.
i did not find this helpful