Truss Design Challenge Experiment - Group 2

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For this challenging experiment, students in the lab were tasked with designing a truss or bridge to span a specific distance and withstand a 100 lb load in a four-point flexure test. All requirements for the bridge are clearly outlined below: • 400 mm is the required span length • A width of 75 mm must be maintained • The maximum height allowed is 75 mm • The maximum weight limit is 100 grams • The bridge must support 45 kg (100 lbs) • Connections between parts cannot use adhesives, such as glue The students' biggest challenge was designing a bridge that could be printed in separate parts because the bridges were too large to print all at once. To overcome this hurdle, they had to design connections for these parts without using any adhesives. The connection design was crucial because it is the weakest point on their trusses. Here's the information about Group 2's bridge: This is the design from Group 2 in the laboratory, which features a Howe Truss. This group kept their design simple with just three parts. They designed their lateral connection to hold the truss together and resist normal and shear forces acting along the connections. The bridge also resisted overturning laterally. The total weight of the bridge was 96 grams and it supported a load of 140 lbs. Due to the high loading, the group did not push the bridge to failure, so the failure mechanism cannot be reported. Note: The handout for this experiment will be available soon. A link to the handout will be provided in this description when it is complete, allowing you to perform this experiment yourself or with your students.