1

2.4.1
Structural Design

Anna Banks, Brennon Welsh

Providence High School
November 13, 2015

Abstract
In activity 2.4.1 we are engineering a bridge. Our mission for this bridge is make
the most efficient bridge that is $300,000 or less. Our bridge must be able to withstand
the force of a truck. To do this will will be using materials listed in westpoint bridge
creator. We will be designing a bridge and then changing around the materials to create
a bridge that will pass all design constraints.
Daily log:
November 9- Started activity 2.4.1 structural design. Worked in West Point Bridge
Designer brainstorming our bridge idea and began creating portfolio.

November 10- Continued working on making a perfect bridge that follows the
constraints given. Also worked on portfolio.
November 12 - Finished designing our bridges and spent majority of the class creating
portfolio.
November 13- Wrote paragraphs and finished project up.
Team norms:

Respectively communicate with each other

Do not discourage, encourage!!
Be open to new ideas and give constructive criticism
Be positive even in a negative situation
Work hard and HAVE FUN!!!
Material list:

Engineering notebook
Pencil
Research source (most likely on a computer)
Computer loaded with west point bridge designer
Design brief:
In activity 2.4.1 our goal is to create to the most efficient bridge with the
constraints below. When creating our bridge we have to apply engineering design,
material science, and statics to the design of a truss bridge carrying a two-lane highway
that spans a riverbed. We will be creating our bridge using the software West Point
Bridge Design which allows you to virtually create a bridge with all aspects of a real life
bridge.
Constraints:
1.Minimization of Cost (Design success will be evaluated based upon
structural stability
and overall costdecrease the cost and improve the
design.)
2. The bridge may cross the valley at any elevation from high water level
to 24 meters above high water level.
3. If the elevation of the bridge deck is below 24 meters, excavation of the
riverbanks will be required to achieve the correct highway elevation.
4. To provide clearance for overhead power lines, the highest point on the
bridge may not exceed an elevation 32.5 meters above the high water
level (8.5 meters above the top of the riverbanks).
5. The bridge substructure may consist of either standard abutments
(simple supports) or arch abutments (arch supports). If necessary, the
bridge may also use one intermediate pier, located near the center of the

valley. If necessary, the bridge may also use cable anchorages, located 8
meters behind one or both abutments.
6. Each main truss can have no more than 50 joints and no more than
120 members.
7.The bridge will have a flat, reinforced concrete deck. Two types of
concrete are available:

Medium-strength concrete requires a deck thickness

of 23 centimeters (0.23 meter).

High-strength concrete requires a deck thickness of

15 centimeters (0.15 meter).

In either case, the deck will be supported by

transverse floor beams spaced at 4-meter intervals. To accommodate
these floor beams, your structural model must have a row of joints
spaced 4 meters apart at the level of the deck. These joints are
created automatically within West Point Bridge Designer.
8.The bridge deck will be 10 meters wide, such that it can accommodate
two lanes of traffic.

Member Properties

9.MaterialsEach member of the truss will be made of either carbon

steel; high-strength, low-alloy steel; or quenched and tempered steel.
10.Cross SectionsThe members of the truss can be either solid bars or
hollow tubes. Both types of cross sections are square.
11.Member SizeBoth cross sections are available in a variety of
standard sizes.

The bridge must be capable of safely carrying the

following loads:
12.Weight of the reinforced concrete deck.
13.Weight of a 5-cm thick asphalt wearing surface, which might be applied
at some time in the future.
14.Weight of the steel floor beams and supplemental bracing members
(assumed to be 12.0 kN applied at each deck-level joint).
15. Weight of the main trusses.
16. Either of two possible truck loadings:
1. Weight of one standard H25 truck loading per lane, including
appropriate allowance for the dynamic effects of the moving load.
Since the bridge carries two lanes of traffic, each main truss must
safely carry one H25 vehicle, placed anywhere along the length of
the deck.

2. Weight of a single 480 kN Permit Loading, including appropriate

allowance for the dynamic effects of the moving load. Since the
Permit Loading is assumed to be centered laterally, each main
truss must safely carry one-half of the total vehicle weight, placed
anywhere along the length of the deck.
17.The bridge will comply with the structural safety provisions of the 1994
LRFD AASHTO
Bridge
18.Design Specification (Load and Resistance Factor Design), to include:

Procedures
To start off the project we opened up westpoint bridge designer and made a new
project. We selected Deck elevation of 24 with two cable supports. We then began
designing the bridge. We looked up real bridge designs to see what works. We built off
of what we saw and decided to go with our final design Number (3). It is a bridge with a
two cable support that has trusses holding up the bottom and cables supporting from
above. Our bridge closely resembles the Charleston Bridge.

Brainstorming/ Decision matrix

1 (Brennon)
(Anna)

]
3 (Brennon )

(Anna)

Bridge #

Efficiency

$300,000 or
less

Weight
bearing

Little stress
on members

#1

#2

#3

#4

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Deck Elevation Cost Impact
Deck Elevation

Abutments

Pier

Cable Anchorages

Site Cost

24 meters

Standard

No Pier

No

$70,650.00

20 meters

Standard

No Pier

No

$82,500.00

16 meters

Standard

No Pier

No

$95,350.00

12 meters

Standard

No Pier

No

$105,200.00

8 meters

Standard

No Pier

No

$116,050.00

4 meters

Standard

No Pier

No

$124,900.00

0 meters

Standard

No Pier

No

$133.750.00

Arch Abutment Cost Impact

Deck Elevation

Arch Abutments

Pier

Cable Anchorages

Site Cost

24 meters

24 meters

No Pier

No

$97,883.40

24 meters

20 meters

No Pier

No

$92,777

24 meters

16 meters

No Pier

No

$88,985.80

24 meters

12 meters

No Pier

No

$ 86,509.80

24 meters

8 meters

No Pier

No

$85,349.00

24 meters

4 meters

No Pier

No

$85,503.40

Pier Cost Impact

Deck Elevation

Abutments

Pier

Cable Anchorages

Site Cost

24 meters

Standard

24 meters

No

$103,232.00

24 meters

Standard

20 meters

No

$100,050.00

24 meters

Standard

16 meters

No

$ 96,850.00

24 meters

Standard

12 meters

No

$93,650.00

24 meters

Standard

8 meters

No

$90,450.00

24 meters

Standard

4 meters

No

$87,250.00

24 meters

Standard

0 meters

No

$84,050.00

Cable

Site Cost

Cable Anchorages Cost Impact

Deck Elevation

Abutments

Pier

Anchorages
24 meters

Standard

No Pier

None

$70,650.00

24 meters

Standard

No Pier

One

$76,650.00.

24 meters

Standard

No Pier

Two

$82,650 .00

Deck Material and Truck Loading Cost Impact

Deck Material

Loading

Site Cost

Medium-Strength

Standard 25kN

$82,650.00

Medium-Strength

480 kN Permit Loading

$82,650.00

High-Strength

Standard 225kN

$84,300.00

High-Strength

480 kN Permit Loading

$84,300.00

Member Material Selection Comparison

Material

Cross

Cross

Section

Section

Type

Size

Carbon Steel Solid Bar

High-

160 mm

Yield Stress

250,000kN

Solid Bar

160 mm 345,000kN

Solid Bar

160 mm

Modulus of

Mass

Moment of

Cost per

Elasticity

Density

Inertia

Meter

200,000,000kN 7850kg .00003

$692.37

200,000,000kN 7850kg

.00003

$769.30

7850kg .00003

$853.92

Strength
Quenched

485,000kN 200,000,000kN

Member Cross Section Type Comparison

Material

Cross

Cross

Yield

Modulus of

Mass

Moment of

Cost per

Section

Section

Stress

Elasticity

Density

Inertia

Meter

Type

Size

Carbon Steel Solid Bar

160 mm

250,000kN 200,000,000kN 7850kg .00003

$692.37

Carbon Steel

160 mm

250,000kN 200,000,000kN 7850kg .000011

$184.17

Hollow
Tube

Member Cross Section Size Comparison

Material

Cross

Cross

Yield

Modulus of

Mass

Moment of

Cost per

Section

Section

Stress

Elasticity

Density

Inertia

Meter

Type

Size

Carbon Steel Solid Bar

30 mm

250,00kN 200,000,000kN

7850kg

.0000000675 $31.79

Carbon Steel Solid Bar

160 mm

250,000kN 200,000,000kN

7850kg .00003

$692.37

Carbon Steel Solid Bar

360 mm

250,000kN 200,000,000kN

7850kg .0014

$4000.12

Carbon Steel Solid Bar

500 mm

250,000kN 200,000,000kN

7850kg .00521

$8831.25

Research
After researching the different components of the materials, we decided that
there were certain structures that required much more strength and there were some
that needed barely any. Hollow tubes proved to be the cheapest method possible. Also
the cheapest material was carbon steel but it was also the weakest. I then looked at real
bridges to see what type of trusses work and what type of building platform could be the
most effective, such as the cables or arched bridges/piers. Then i built and tested my
models and changed the materials and their size around.
Our Sources - Beautiful Bridges Around The World - Original Music Youtube.com
Westpoint Bridge Creator
Conclusion
Overall activity 2.4.1 was a very entertaining activity that was very beneficial.
Throughout this activity we learned how to construct a bridge with different materials.
We followed the constraints and made a good bridge. We are proud of our design and
This activity taught us that anything is possible. Although at the beginning we thought
making a bridge under $300,000 was simply impossible, after several attempts we soon
realized that it is very possible. Being able to follow certain constraints on a project is
very important and a good life skill to have.

Conclusion Questions

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1. How does the type and direction of stress applied affect the selection of the
material type and the cross-sectional area?
Each material has a strong suit and the material size is important for securing a good
moment of inertia. Material selections and cross sectional area selections can be very
important to consider when building a bridge.
2. How can the forces of compression and tension work together to make a
stronger bridge?
The forces of tension and compression may work together by pushing the pieces of the
bridge together. This can help ensure maximum weight distribution and ensure joint
contact.