Week 10 Blog Post

This term has taught me many things regarding bridge design.  One of the main things is that I learned the importance of triangles in a design.  I will never forget their importance.  Moreover, I value the fact that I now know truss analysis and multiple tests lead to a stronger and more efficient truss.  These were the most beneficial lessons on the course.  Trial and error is key.  One thing that I found to be the strongest aspect of this course was the application of WPBD.  This program allowed a significant number of tests in a short amount of time.  The computer generation proved to be very useful in the design process.  The weakest part of this course was the application of a blog.  It was least beneficial to me.  I believe that the engineering notebooks would have been just as effective.  Moreover, this would enable better designed bridges due to the grid lines.  One final thing I learned is that the height of a bridge greatly strengthens it.  The vertical dispersion of forces proved to be extremely helpful in creating a strong truss.