Week 8 Blog Post

Last week in lab, we were taught how to calculate forces acting on a bridge by hand. Such forces include compression and tension. We do this by applying trigonometry and physics to a two-dimensional sketch of the bridge design. These calculations are very similar to those carried out by the West Point Bridge Designer computer program.
While these calculations provide accurate results, they would not be as effective on an actual, full-size bridge. When calculating forces on a real, physical bridge, one cannot assume that weight is the only force acting on the bridge. Outside forces such as weather and extreme heat and cold can affect how the bridge distributes compression and tension forces.
If given the opportunity, I would be interested in calculating how environmental factors affect a bridge's ability to distribute weight. To do this, I would have to add an X and Z axis to the sketch and calculate forces on those axes as well.
This week in lab we will take another look at our bridge after analyzing the results of our calculations. Depending on the outcome, we may decide to slightly alter our bridge's design. I'm excited to see how accurate our calculations are at determining where our bridge will most likely collapse.