Week 6

In the past week we built a bridge out of Knex that was two feet long.  We had three designs that were similar in many ways.  They all had the same general shape and use of triangles, the only variations were the length of members and slight placement.  We used the best components of each bridge to build our group bridge.  We used small members to make the overall bridge stronger.  We also did an informal test on our bridge which resulted in quick failure.  We found that the connectors we used in certain spots were too loose and not placed effectively.  This was the only major problem we came across this week.  We changed the positioning of the connectors and used some that snap together tighter.  Our goal for this week is to test our Knex bridge and analyze how the bridge failed.  A cost to weight ratio will also be calculated to compare to our peers results.

After working with the different Knex pieces in class, my views of the similarities and differences between Knex and West Point Bridge Designer have not changed.  In my opinion, it would be very different working with Knex rather than designing a "real" bridge made of steel spanning 20 feet.  The Knex still limit the design possibilities.  The Knex only connect at angles in increments of 45 degrees.  A steel bridge would have much more freedom in the aesthetics because any angle can be used and custom pieces can be made.  The design process for a "real" steel bridge is much more complicated than using Knex.  We can experiment with the Knex and different designs by quickly making a model and changing it by simply snapping pieces into connectors.  A steel bridge is not this simple and more factors have to be taken into account.