Spaghetti Bridge Design

Bridges are an important part of our roads and railways because they make it possible to cross rivers and deep valleys. A bridge has to support its own weight as well as the weight of the cars and trains that cross it so it should be as light as possible. Aim: The object is to construct a spaghetti bridge that will carry the heaviest load while still meeting specifications. Bridges will be loaded until they fail. To win this competition you must use spaghetti and glue only to build the lightest bridge that can carry the design load. The photo shows the arrangement that will be used to test your bridge. The bridge shown below is only an example, you can use any design you wish but your bridge MUST be 648mm long (at the bottom) and be able to support the road 102mm above the base of the bridge. The road is 80mm wide. These dimensions are important because your bridge must fit into the test rig or it will be disqualified. The roadway is made of aluminium, weighing 0.9kg and is hinged in 5 places across the bridge and at each end. The car (which also weighs 0.9kg) will be allowed to run down the small hill on the left and across the bridge. To pass the test the car must reach the other side without breaking the bridge.

80 mm 108 mm

102 mm

648 mm

Design Criteria:
The bridge must: 1. be 648mm long (at the bottom) 2. support the road 102mm above the base of the bridge. The road is 80mm wide. 3. rest on the two end supports only. 4. be constructed using only thin spaghetti joined with a suitable glue. 5. the maximum weight of the bridge must not exceed 150g.

Judging:
Judging criteria for the bridge contest is based on load per unit weight (the load supported divided by the weight of the bridge) Example TEAM NAME M. Bolton S. Fragomeni F. Cha J.H. Doh BRIDGE WEIGHT (g) 8.08 22.20 33.45 44.92 EFFICIENCY LOAD (g) 1558.12 4651.60 4543.20 16631.70 EFFICIENCY = LOAD/WEIGHT 192.83 209.53 135.82 370.25 PLACE 3 2 4 1

Bridge Design Assignment Sheet (10%)

1) Workshop Time: _________________ 2) Tutor: __________________________ 3) Design Topic: ____________________________________________________________ 4) Group Members and Design Project Roles: No. Name 1 2 3 4 5 Student Number Project Role

5) Design Project Program: undertaken in Laboratory times Weeks 2: Form groups and discuss design problem (ask questions if necessary). Note: students may be allocated to groups by the tutor. Weeks 3: Groups discuss design issues. Note: students must supply their own materials. Weeks 4: Groups do a test their bridge.

6) Marking Schedule: The assessment consists of three areas relating to the design project. These are as follows: 1. Design Report: Each group is to hand to the tutor one (1) design report (A4 2 to 3 pages). This report should include a brief background on the design field, design process, design calculations, design drawings (1:5 scale) and design specifications. Design Functionality: Each group will be required to bring the built bridge (i.e. weeks 4) to the final laboratory.

2.

No. Section Description PART 1: REPORT

1 Design Report (written report handed to tutor which includes drawings)

Weight 2% 8% 10%

Mark /10

Weighted Mark

PART 2: PRESENTATION OF DESIGN 2 Design Functionality (designs fitness for

purpose)

TOTALS