Task
The purpose of this project is to introduce the students to the tension and compression strength of construction materials through truss bridge construction. Truss is a structure built up of three or more members which are normally considered being pinned and hinged at the joints.
In a group, students are required to design and construct a fettuccine bridge of 350 mm clear span and maximum weight of 80 g. The efficiency of the bridge is to be tested with actual weights.
In a group, students are required to design and construct a fettuccine bridge of 350 mm clear span and maximum weight of 80 g. The efficiency of the bridge is to be tested with actual weights.
Reflection
This project encourage students to explore and understand the mechanism and load distribution of a truss through trials and error. Through the truss analysis, I have learnt to identify the compression and tension members in a truss structure using calculation. This allows me to explore different arrangement of truss members in order construct the most effective truss bridge. Besides, the understanding of material attributes is also integral to increase the efficiency of the fettuccine bridge. By varying the usage of the material at different regions of the bridge, the weaker parts of the truss structure can be complemented.
