Truss Design Challenge Experiment - Group 7

Experiment Description
For this experiment, the students in the lab were required to design a truss or bridge to span a specific distance and resist a 100 lb load in a four point flexure test. All the requirements for the bridge are shown below:
• Span length of 400 mm
• Width of 75 mm
• Maximum height of 75 mm
• Maximum weight 100 grams
• Must hold 45 kg (100 lbs)
• No adhesion (glue, etc..) for connections

The challenge for the student in this experiment was their bridge had to be printed in separate parts because the bridges were to large to print all at once. The students had to design connections for these parts without the use of glue or other adhesives. The connection design was critical because that is the weakest points on their trusses.

Information on Group 7’s Bridge:
This is the design from Group 7 in the laboratory. Their truss design is commonly known as a Single Span I-Beam Bridge. This group has a unique beam design with a total of 3 parts. This group designed the I-Beams of this bridge to resist both the vertical and lateral forces. The bridge had a total weight of 96 grams and resisted a load of 86 lbs. This bridge failed due to overturning laterally during testing. The group recommended adding lateral braces in the center of the bridge to improve the design.

Note:
The handout for this experiment will be available soon. I will provide a link to the handout in this description when it is complete, so you can perform this experiment yourself or with your students.