Hay Derrick

grabcad

Derricks were ubiquitous in rural farming communities across the Western United States during the early 1900s. As hay balers and tractors became increasingly prevalent, these towering structures began to disappear from the landscape, leaving only a handful of remnants as nostalgic reminders of a bygone era. For engineering students, this scenario presents a fascinating statics and strength of materials problem that will undoubtedly pique their interest. My dairy farming ancestors would likely be thrilled to finally see a thorough static analysis conducted on a 300-pound load placed at the end of a derrick, and later, a dynamic analysis will be performed to simulate the impact of a similar load dropped from a hay wagon and restrained by the derrick's sturdy frame.