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Connecticut TRAC |
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A Transportation & Civil Engineering Program | |
Bridge Builder
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This activity may be presented as either a demonstration or hands-on lab to illustrate the geometric parameters that affect the bending behavior of beams and bridges. A load is applied to various configurations of balsa wood strips, and the students observe how the geometry (length, width, and height) affects the amount of deflection ( or the movement of a structure resulting from stress) and the ultimate failure load. |
In these Activities, students will…
• Be introduced to the basic concepts employed by the structural engineer when designing and building bridges including load, dimensions, and materials.
• Study different types of bridges and the factors that go into deciding the most suitable type, dimensions, and material for a bridge.
• Use a computer program to predict the overall strength and weight of a structure as well as how well a structure performs under different loads.
• Design, build, and test an actual bridge
Supporting materials: