Steel Bridge Fabrication

The parameters for the construction were a height minimum of 30” and a weight limit of 25 pounds. The design for this steel bridge imitates a classic truss but with a twist. The bridge mirrors itself on two axes, and in doing so, the forces are balanced so that the two legs can support the weight. We used galvanized steel Ls as the frame and steel flat bars for the trusses, with self-driving screws as the connections. The end product has a visual twisting effect on the appearance of the bridge. Some improvements needed for our design are to add more shear connection bracing to prevent twisting of the bride in the lateral direction, but it successfully held the weight of a large person.

Wooden Tower Fabrication

This academic project was completed as a team in our construction course. The design for this 12-foot tower relies on simple, rigid connections and continuously shifting and balancing load transfers until the very top. The tower is composed of vertical plywood L shapes, which are locked together with horizontal slabs of Douglas fir. The entire structure is secured with dowel locks to ensure stability and strength. These connections could have been more rigid if both the vertical and horizontal pieces locked into each other instead of just sliding one into the other. 

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Conceptual Analysis