Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
us/~mike_whitman/bridges/bridges_webq
uest_introduction.htm
There's no doubt
sometime in your life
you've seen a bridge, and
it's almost as likely that
you've traveled over one.
If you've ever laid a
plank or log down over a
stream to keep from
getting wet, you've even
constructed a bridge. A
bridge provides passage
over some sort of
obstacle: a river, a valley,
a road, a set of railroad
tracks, etc.
photocoutesyofPeterP.Papesch
In this Web Quest activity, you and your partner will become "Virtual" Civil Engineers. You
will research the four major types of bridges to gather an understanding of how each
design works. After you select the correct bridge type, you will be challenged to design and
test a virtual bridge. Your success will be determined by how efficient your bridge is. Will
your Engineering Firm have the most efficient design? Good luck and truss' your insticts.
There are two parts to this task which will be combined to make up your final grade. The
total points for each task is listed below.
ollow the directions below and answer the questions on the worksheet provided. Keep all
written work in your Technology binders. You will need this information later as part of
your Design Prtfoilio. The questions are links to web pages that contain the information
you need to answer the questions or to fulfill a challenge. Click the NEXT link to continue
to the next page.
Process - Page 1
Ad Topics
How To Compress A Spring
Tension Walls
Design Bridges
Tension In Structures
Tension Of Spring
Whatallowsanarchbridgetospangreaterdistancesthanabeambridge,orasuspension
bridgetostretchoveradistanceseventimesthatofanarchbridge?Theanswerliesinhow
eachbridgetypedealswiththeimportantforcesofcompressionandtension.
Tension:Whathappenstoaropeduringagameoftugofwar?Correct,itundergoestension
fromthetwosweatyopposingteamspullingonit.Thisforcealsoactsonbridgestructures,
resultingintensionalstress.
Deck Truss
Through Truss
Arch Type
Wichert Truss
Suspension or Cable-Stayed
UP NEXT
Bridge building doesn't get any simpler than this. In order to build a
beam bridge (also known as a girder bridge), all you need is a rigid
horizontal structure (a beam) and two supports, one at each end, to
rest it on. These components directly support the downward weight of
the bridge and any traffic traveling over it.
However, in supporting weight, the bream bridge endures both
compressional and tensional stress. In order to understand these
forces, let's use a simple model.
If you're going to build a bridge, you'll need some help from BATS -- not the furry,
winged mammals that so often live beneath bridges, but the key structural
components of bridge construction: beams, arches, trusses and suspensions.
Various combinations of these four technologies allow for numerous bridge designs,
ranging from simple beam bridges, arch bridges, truss bridges and suspension
bridges to more complex variations, such as the pictured side-spar cable-stayed
bridge. For all its 21st century complexity, the side-spar design is based on
suspension principles first used some two centuries earlier.
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
All these different truss patterns also factored into how beam bridges
were being built. Some takes featured a through truss above the
bridge, while others boasted a deck truss beneath the bridge.
A single beam spanning any distance undergoes compression and
tension. The very top of the beam gets the most compression, and
the very bottom of the beam experiences the most tension. The
middle of the beam experiences very little compression or tension.
This is why we have I-beams, which provide more material on the
tops and bottoms of beams to better handle the forces of
compression and tension.
And there's another reason why a truss is more rigid than a single
beam: A truss has the ability to dissipate a load through the truss
work. The design of a truss, which is usually a variant of a triangle,
creates both a very rigid structure and one that transfers the load
from a single point to a considerably wider area.
Aftermorethan2,000yearsofarchitecturaluse,thearchcontinuestofeatureprominentlyin
bridgedesignsandwithgoodreason:Itssemicircularstructureelegantlydistributes
compressionthroughitsentireformanddivertsweightontoitstwoabutments,the
componentsofthebridgethatdirectlytakeonpressure.
Tensionalforceinarchbridges,ontheotherhandisvirtuallynegligible.Thenaturalcurveof
thearchanditsabilitytodissipatetheforceoutwardgreatlyreducestheeffectsoftensionon
theundersideofthearch.
UP NEXT
uspension Bridge
PREV NEXT
UP NEXT
Of course, suspension bridges made from twisted grass don't last that
long, requiring continual replacement to ensure safe travel across the
gap. Today, only one such bridge remains, measuring 90 feet (27
meters) in the Andes.
What's next? Hint: You'll have to stay (that's a hint!) around to find out.
Cable-Stayed Bridge
PREV NEXT
Atfirstglance,thecablestayedbridgemaylooklikejustavariantofthesuspensionbridge,
butdon'tlettheirsimilartowersandhangingroadwaysfoolyou.Cablestayedbridgesdiffer
fromtheirsuspensionpredecessorsinthattheydon'trequireanchorages,nordotheyneed
twotowers.Instead,thecablesrunfromtheroadwayuptoasingletowerthatalonebearsthe
weight.
Thetowerofacablestayedbridgeisresponsibleforabsorbinganddealingwith
compressionalforces.Thecablesattachtotheroadwayinvariousways.Forexample,ina
radialpattern,cablesextendfromseveralpointsontheroadtoasinglepointatthetower,
likenumerousfishinglinesattachedtoasinglepole.Inaparallelpattern,thecablesattachto
boththeroadwayandthetoweratseveralseparatepoints.
UP NEXT
EngineersconstructedthefirstcablestayedbridgesinEuropefollowingthecloseofWorld
WarII,butthebasicdesigndatesbacktothe16thcenturyandCroatianinventorFaust
Vrancic.AcontemporaryofastronomersTychoBracheandJohannesKepler,Vrancic
producedthefirstknownsketchofacablestayedbridgeinhisbook"MachinaeNovae."
Today,cablestayedbridgesareapopularchoiceastheyofferalltheadvantagesofa
suspensionbridgebutatalessercostforspansof500to2,800feet(152to853meters).They
requirelesssteelcable,arefastertobuildandincorporatemoreprecastconcretesections.
Notallbridgesrequiresgreathunksofsteelandconcretethough.Sometimesatreerootor
twowilldothetrick.
PREV NEXT
While the first bridges were likely nothing short of logs toppled over
creeks, most of humanity's bridge-building legacy is a story of
artificial structures crafted out of the elements. We can find, however,
one of the most striking exceptions to this rule in the Meghalaya
region of northern India.
During monsoon season, locals here endure some of the wettest
conditions on Earth, and rising floodwaters cut the land into isolated
fragments. Build a bridge out of woven vines or hewn boards and the
rainforest moisture will inevitably turn it into compost. As you can see
from the photo, the local people developed a rather elegant solution
to the problem: They grow their bridges out of natural vegetation. In
doing so, they turn a large portion of the bridge maintenance duties
over to the bridge itself.
UP NEXT
roadway to rotate and twist like a rolling wave. As we'll explore on the
next page, Washington's Tacoma Narrows Bridge sustained damage
from torsion, which was, in turn, caused by another powerful physical
force
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
Two bridges lay in ruins near Biloxi and Ocean Springs, Miss., following 2005's
devastating Hurricane Katrina.
JERRY GRAYSON/HELIFILMS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD/GETTY IMAGES
UP NEXT
placement of the travel surface in relation to the structure (deck, pony, through),
The three basic types of spans are shown below. Any of these spans may be constructed using beams, girders
or trusses. Arch bridges are either simple or continuous (hinged). A cantilever bridge may also include a
suspended span.
Arch types
Suspension types
The longest bridges in the world are suspension bridges or their cousins, the cable-stayed bridge. The deck is
hung from suspenders of wire rope, eyebars or other materials. Materials for the other parts also vary: piers
may be steel or masonry; the deck may be made of girders or trussed. A tied arch resists spreading (drift) at
Forces Lab
Forces Lab | Materials Lab | Loads Lab | Shapes Lab
About This Lab
This lab simplifies the real-life forces and actions that affect structures, in order to illustrate key
concepts.
Intro
Forces act on big structures in many ways. Click on one of the actions at left to explore the forces at
work and to see real-life examples.
Squeezing (Compression)
Compression is a force that squeezes a material together. When a material is in compression, it tends
to become shorter.
Compression: See It In Real Life
The lower columns of a skyscraper are squeezed by the heavy weight above them. This squeezing
force is called compression.
Stretching (Tension)
Tension is a force that stretches a material apart. When a material is in tension, it tends to become
longer.
Tension: See It In Real Life
The weight of the roadway and all the cars traveling on it pull on the vertical cables in this suspension
bridge. The cables are in tension.
Bending
When a straight material becomes curved, one side squeezes together and the other side stretches
apart. This action is called bending.
Bending: See It In Real Life
The top side of the metal bar is pulled apart in tension, and the bottom side is squeezed together in
compression. This combination of opposite forces produces an action called bending.
Sliding (Shear)
Shear is a force that causes parts of a material to slide past one another in opposite directions.
Shear: See It In Real Life
During an earthquake, parts of this roadway slid in opposite directions. This sliding action is called
shear.
Twisting (Torsion)
Torsion is an action that twists a material.
Torsion: See It In Real Life
In 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge twisted violently in strong winds and collapsed. The twisting
force that tore this bridge in half is called torsion.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/index.html
BUILDINGBIGisacoproductionoftheWGBHScienceUnitandProductionGroup,Inc.,andis
presentedonPBSbyWGBHBoston.
http://www.asce.org/asce.cfm
AmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/
PBSSuperBridgeseries
http://science.howstuffworks.com/bridge2.htm
HowStuffWorks
http://www.farexplore.com/2007/08/15/goldengatebridge.html
GoldenGateBridgePhoto
Your final grade will be a combination of points earned on each of the four tasks.
Below you will find a grading rubric that outlines the scores for varying levels of
achievement.
(Students can score up to a total of 100 points)
Web Quest & Bridge Design Rubrics
Criteria
Bridge Research
Web Quest
(40 points)