My Learning Experience West Point Bridge Designer

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My Learning Experience West Point Bridge
Designer

• Nikki Rutan
• Instructional Technology

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Balsa Wood Bridges
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Howe Through Truss
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Pratt Through Truss
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Warren Through Truss
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Engineering at West Point

• Founded in 1802, the United States Military
  Academy at West Point was the first school in the
  U.S. to offer a formal program of instruction in
  engineering.
• During the first half of the 19th century, civil
  engineering was the foundation of the West Point
  curriculum. Academy graduates of that era
  designed and built many of the young nation's
  railroads, bridges, harbors, and roads.
• This contest commemorates West Point's
  engineering heritage and its role in developing
  the nation's infrastructure.

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Purpose

• The United States Military Academy is pleased to
  offer the third annual West Point Bridge Design
  Contest.
• The purpose of the contest is to provide middle
  school and high school students with a realistic,
  engaging introduction to engineering. We provide
  this contest as a service to education--and as a
  tribute to the Academy's two hundred years of
  service to the United States of America.

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Goals

• The contest will provide you with an opportunity
  to
• Learn about engineering through a realistic,
  hands-on problem-solving experience.
• Learn about the engineering design process--the
  application of math, science, and technology to
  create devices and systems that meet human needs.
  
• Learn about truss bridges and how they work.
• Learn how engineers use the computer as a
  problem-solving tool.
• .

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2007 West Point Bridge Design Contest

• Who?
• U.S. students age 13 through grade 12 are
  eligible to compete for national recognition.
• Anyone else may enter our Open Competition.

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How To Enter

• Download and install the West Point Bridge
  Designer 2007 software.  Use the software to
  design the least expensive bridge that will pass
  a simulated load test.
• Register your team.
• Log in and submit as many designs as you like.

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Feedback

• When you submit your design to the contest
  website, you will receive instant feedback on
  your team's standing, with respect to all other
  teams that have submitted designs from your
  contest zone. If your score is in the current top
  30 for your zone, your team name and school will
  be posted on our contest scoreboard.

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Getting Started

• Go to
• http//bridgecontest.usma.edu
• Download software

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Choose Create a New Bridge Design and click OK
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Click NEXT
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Click NEXT
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Choose 0 meters and click NEXT
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Click NEXT
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Choose Howe Through Truss and click NEXT
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Enter your name and Project 1 and click NEXT
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Click FINISH
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Use the template to design your truss.
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Test your design
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Note that some of the structural
members turn red, while others turn blue. This
color coding illustrates the type of force in
each member. Members that turn blue are
experiencing tension--they are being stretched or
elongated. Members that turn red are in
compression--they are being squashed or
shortened. The intensity of color indicates the
magnitude of the member force. Thus the dark red
diagonal members are being loaded very close to
failure, while the light blue bottom chords are
much stronger than they really need to be.
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2006 Winning Design Created by Team Last Try,
this bridge has a cost of 59,949.17
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Happy Designing!!!