A1: Fitzpatrick

1)      Design Goals: The main goal of this design was to create an efficient yet cost effective truss bridge. I was able to do this by utilizing the maximum Compression/Tension to strength ratio possible. By doing this, I am assuring that my bridge design is as efficient as it can be. Though I experimented with bridge designs that featured trusses above the bridge deck, I found that my strongest and most cost effective bridge shown below features trusses below the bridge deck.

2)      Bridge Design:

3)       Truck Test in Middle of Bridge

4)  `Load Test Results

5)     Changes During Design:

            I found myself making many changes to my design as it progressed. The original design of this bridge was functional but very expensive. I proceeded to use materials of different types and sizes in order to slowly lower the price without lowering the quality or structural soundness of the design. 
6)    Cost of Bridge

             The final cost for this bridge has come out to be $227,520.51. I believe this is a satisfactory price tag for a bridge of this nature. If i were to be able to put some more time and effort into this design I believe I could lower the price a little more. By possibly altering the types of materials some more, I think I could get the cost of it to around $223,000.00

7) What I Have Learned

            Through using the WPBD program, I have learned a lot about how truss bridges behave under load. One critical thing that I found in my designs is that the locations of the joints is critical in a good bridge design. If any of these joints are inefficently placed, it can cause uneven load distribution in the bridge and make for a difficult time getting a structurely sound design.