Remember, you are not allowed to use any of the tools or equipment unless you have been specifically instructed to do so. the beam does not take all the compression and tension. You might have to do this while you are looking up your information. Students also like breaking things so everyone wins! conceptmodel balsa revit autodesk Push your sides against the roadway. Note the Sample Final B and C shows the reflected red outline of bridge components that were reflected. Definitions of basic Bridge Construction Terms. Before you buy the wood sheets, estimate how large your bridge will be. This bridges uses a combination of end and lap joints. We are doing this in my engineering class. While your bridge is still supported by pins around its sides, glue on your lateral braces. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. By following the clear explanations, the dozens of attractive drawings, and 100+ high quality pictures of how a real bridge was designed on paper and later built in detail, the students will gain sufficient knowledge to build their own bridges. Some filters moved to Formats filters, which is at the top of the page. Quizzes with auto-grading, and real-time student data. Looking back we at the design process of this unit, we are all in the same situation with a class of students in an technical design class learning about technical challenges, coming up with researched information and new innovative ideas and how to communicate graphically your ideas. See some online bridge slide shows here . Final bridge testing will take into account the efficiency of your bridge. This article has been viewed 53,112 times. The parchment paper keeps glue off of your drawing and allows you to use it to create both sides of your bridge. There are six sets of drawings in pdf format. in relation to our final task which is to build one. Cross them over the wood to secure it. architonic oligo kendo Power Point is a program that allows you to show your ideas through slide show screens. The next step of this activity is to finalize your design with a full size drawing using Illustrator. Measuring the angles of your bridge, not just piece lengths, is something some people do to make it easier when they cut their wood. This bridge uses gussets and pin joints and spans 18 inches. Bates Tech Balsa Wood Bridge Competition 2011, Classic K-Truss Bridge Design (Balsa Wood), Fernbank Project: Strongest Bridge Design. You can post a card on the board when you're doing a lesson based around that particular artist.2. Each square in this lined paper is 1/8 inch, which is equal to the thickness of the materials that we are using. First tape your drawing to the corrugated cardboard, then place your wax paper over top of your bridge drawing and tape it down also. Select your best design(s) and accurately draw out your design using a supplied template in Illustrator. The first three groups that volunteer to go first will get a bonus 3,2,& 1. This twist on the traditional Balsa Wood Suspension Bridge, is a long-term project for either an individual or a team to complete. I got this idea from talking with a Science Olympiad coach in Ohio. Last Updated: August 4, 2021 These are NGSS-aligned lessons. It really emphasises the importance of self-reinforcing shapes and shows example and visuals to enhance comprehension and retention. This one document can be shared with your entire class. For more tips, including how to draw a good blueprint for your balsa wood bridge, keep reading! Illustrator is a vector drawing program that allows you to draw shapes quickly and accurately. If you have the time, its best to leave this side to dry for an additional day or two. var part1 = "Michael.Franzen"; Here is a bridge using the K truss design made from Balsa wood. Using the ctrl c and ctrl v will allow you to copy required support beams rather than have to make them. This bridge, This is an older bridge I came across when browsing through my old Science Olympiad photos. Give yourself room to change your design slightly as you build. The glue will dry in about half an hour. Find your theoretical (technical guess) efficiency by taking the weight your bridge will support prior to breaking and dividing that by the weight of your bridge (keep the units the same, that is why we multiply the pounds of weight your bridge can hold by 454 to get the total grams). 3-4 Expanding/Bridging I use this as an intro activity before students design balsa wood towers or bridges. This tester is a pump action load weight bearing and load tracking, testing unit, which will apply weight and measure the bridge's ability to withstand the load. 2012-19 - M Franzen Links: You are to show 4 orthographic views top, bottom, front, and right side of bridge design. More videos to come. This will save you a lot of time if you can do this when possible. The higher the bridge efficiency the higher your mark will be, as your mark will be based on the average of all group bridge efficiencies tested. Make sure you are using a pencil and show how all of your pieces would connect. balsa In our case it is to build the most efficient load bearing model bridge with the given materials. Now I wish I had gone. Strength can be gained by including triangles in your bridge. Look closely in the third sample and note how the floor bed has been created on top of beams: Ensure you fill out your Bridge Evaluation report properly. It successfully meets half the standards of a semester of Geometry and Physics. This bridge is from the 2003 GA State Tournament, the same tournament, For this balsa wood bridge, I used a K-Truss design with seven vertical members and 6 K-Trusses per side. Add highlights, virtual manipulatives, and more. If you are unsure of a rule, ask! If this step is not done thoroughly, you will end up with a poor or bad finished product. X It reviews the six most common types of bridges. You will need to depend on each of the steps in order to accomplish your goals throughout this unit. Truss bridges are type of beam bridge supported by crossing posts above the bridge, and arch bridges are supported by large arches below the roadway of the bridge. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. In groups of two you are to research, present, and then independently design 4 different truss style bridge designs with a goal of maximizing the efficiency of the bridge. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Finishing the final drawing in illustrator has given groups two final bridge design solutions. Trusses have triangular frames of varying frequencies. To keep pieces secure while you lay them out, stick two sewing pins into the foam board at each joint. You should be working off of your usb flash memory stick. Wear safety glasses when cutting your balsa. The best places to buy the wire and the magnets in Ebay, Walmart, and Amazon are indicated with pictures and links. Next, cut the pieces from the wood with a saw and arrange them on top of your drawing so you know where they all fit on the bridge. Yes, this is one of the coolest bridges I have ever seen. Civil Engineers - skills, knowledge, education, Building the the Most Efficient Wooden Truss Bridge, Both super-structure, road bed and sub-structure may be used, Triangles are much stronger than four sided figures, Bridge span must have ten mm gap from support system, Template shows maximum length, width, and height, Bridge width must be full width to fit test block, Ten mm maximum above road bed surface (top of bridge support system), Review peer Power Point presentations for more ideas, Open Illustrator and select New File with the following settings, Advanced and pick 72 dpi for raster effects, Edit > Preferences > Guide and Grids, set grid to 5 mm, Press Shift F8 (for object information box), Select Rectangle tool (m) and left click on art board, put in 200mm for width and 5 mm for height, Select the selection tool (v) and select beam on art board, then ctrl C to copy, then ctrl F to paste on top, then click and drag beam down so there are two parallel to each other, Select Rectangle tool (m) and left click on art board, put in 5mm for width and 50 mm for height to make a support member, Use Selection tool (v) to move the support member in between both beams in the center, select and move bottom beam so that it touches bottom of support member, Use Selection tool (v) and select the middle support member and ctrl C to copy, ctrl F to paste on top, In the object information box, select 45 degrees in the rotate box, then select middle anchor top and pull to top beam, do the same for the bottom, Zoom in rolling the middle mouse button and pressing the alt button at the same time to view the top intersection of 45 degree support member and top beam, Click and hold the pen tool fly out, select add anchor, then add an anchor point where the beam intersects the support member, Click and hold the pen tool fly out, select subtract anchor, then delete anchor point(s) above beam line, Do the same for the bottom of the support beam, then move 45 degree support member to the left, select both the straight original support beam and the 45 degree beam, ctrl C, ctrl V, then move copy beside on the right, Using the selection tool (v) right click on a 45 degree beam, select Transform > Reflect, In the Reflect window, select vertical, select preview, then copy, Finish by adjusting the length of the top and bottom beams, using the selection tool (V), click and drag middle anchor of beams, Alt roll centre mouse button to live zoom, Space bar and left click to pan your work, You can only undo your last mistake once ctrl z, Use the direct selection icon tool to move individual points of a shape, Use View > Outline to view just the line, view > preview to view regular view, When moving a shape, after starting to move, press shift, and it will lock on the x or y axis as you move the shape, Most importantly,right click on several components, use Transform >Reflect whenever possible to copy symmetrical bridge components. Ensure you have had instruction on all resources prior to using them: Images below show some of the resources we will be using. This is a PowerPoint that can be used in any classroom to help students build a bridge out of balsa wood. surfboard timber ebook balsa sanding putty grams filler easy light build own HOME 8 lengths at 610 mm each (approximately 9 grams each): Assorted small scrap pieces can also be used, Five periods or 1 full week prior to destructive testing, Maximum of 150 grams for weight of bridge, Tape your final bridge drawing on to the corrugated cardboard, Place wax paper over top of your drawing and tape on edges, Start by cutting out largest outside pieces of the side of your bridge, Cut all side of bridge support pieces and pin into place, Cut cross-sectional pieces for top and bottom of bridge, White glue all cross-section pieces together, and let dry, White glue all other cross-sections and use clamps elastics etc, Extra glue for poor/loose joints will not make them stronger, Not a lot of glue is needed for each joint, Minimum 12 hours for all glue to dry, prior to testing, Bridge will be tested under an increasing load, Record the "Failure Weight" to be used in Efficiency calculation. If you plan to enter your bridge into a competition, like the Science Olympiad, make sure you comply with any competition-specific regulations or dimensions. There are many bridges that are quite strong and have attractive designs. Some last minute tips while working in Illustrator: Below are samples of a finished bridge roughed in using the template and the above tips. See Rules below for more details. Groups should show knowledge of their topic, answer questions based on their topic, speak clearly, and have a great slide show. Looking at the different drawings, students will have the opportunity of selecting the parts they need to construct their own bridges, or they will gather many good ideas about how to design something completely new. var part3 = "e-mail Mr. Franzen - right click, select Copy e-mail address"; Suggest you put your information directly into Power Point Your major points should accompany points written down in the notes section of each slide so that you can verbally expand on your major points. Research source At this stage of the unit, we are to safely build our final idea and then test it's strength. document.write(''); It spanned 14 inches, weighed 8.1 grams, and held 29 pounds. 2: Illustrating Your Final Bridge Design, Introduction to MS Power Point 2003 Video, MindBites Illustrator Introduction Videos. Use your woodcutter in conjunction with a straight edge. The materials cost about $30, and they are good for 40 students to build their own motors. You will need a piece of 11 * 17 piece of corrugated cardboard, your drawing, and some wax paper. Built by J.C. Booth Middle for the Science Olympiad Georgia State Finals in 2003, it placed 3rd. My teacher has said that the arch is the strongest bridge design, but also says that an arch would be difficult to do with balsa wood. For more tips, including how to draw a good blueprint for your balsa wood bridge, keep reading! This unit will take you through the SPICE design process in a little more detail. This unique product is a collection of 273 attractive drawings of balsa wood bridges. He recommends using trusses in our bridge as triangles are very strong (for bridges and in general). Make sure you take the time to build a quality bridge as the bridge is only as strong as it's weakest point. The bridge ended up with an efficiency score of 514. It is a hand on experience that guide students step by step in building a toothpick motor. By putting a diagonal brace in the middle, corner to corner, you get two triangles, which are the strongest possible shape. If you need to, you can use clothespins as tiny clamps. Each sub-topic page must have a image taking about 50% of the page. An ESL, ELL, ELD, EFL Magazine-Gr. This bridge was part of my design process which ended up with my SO winning bridge in 2004. Youll need balsa wood for your structure. An ESL, ELL, ELD, EFL Magazine-Gr. The idea is to distribute the load across several member supports, that way all the load is not concentrated on one part of the beam, i.e. The bridge must be kept under a weight of 150 grams and adhere to full scale drawing template. You can create an artist "Word Wall."3. Once you've laid out your pieces, glue them together with wood glue to create both sides of the bridge. Braced joints can be very difficult to make but, can provide an extremely strong joint. They will know what to do in every step of their work. After that, remove it from your foam board template, and repeat the process for the other side of the bridge. If you have never used Power Point, but have used Microsoft Word, then you are half way there, as they are similar. You will be using the printout to create your bridge components. The wood material is made of bass wood, very similar to balsa wood, also commonly used for model bridge building. I like this video because it is very systematic and well documented. This balsa bridge was built by some students of mine for a Science Olympiad competition. 3-4 Expanding/Bridging, VegetablesSingular/Plural NounsRead AloudStone SoupGr 1-3 Expanding/Bridging, 10 Visible Thinking Routine Graphic Organizers, Artist Cards: Modern Art Movement (Art Posters), Teach Art with Mrs. Nguyen's Elementary Art Bundle (Art Posters & Activites). document.write(part3 + ''); Try to utilize various joint types that are stronger then others for maximum support. Don't bend it too much, or it could suddenly snap in half and send wood particles flying. Select one area with your group to create a 8 to10 page Power Point presentation to show related information to truss bridge design and building: Power point presentations must include a title page and reference page showing all major sources and include 50% graphics/illustrations.