Bridge Construction
A bridge is defined as ‘a structure that spans and provides a passage over a road, railway, river, or some other obstacle’. Bridges also have different connotations, such as:
build bridges to promote reconciliation or cooperation between hostile groups or people
Engineers worldwide are making decisions like yours about bridges every day, but on a larger scale. Some of their decisions are well founded on principles of physics, material structure and dynamics. Sometimes they haven’t done their homework…with dire consequences. Check out the videos below.
The Impossible Bridge
Tacoma Bridge Collapse
Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
Although the Minneapolis Bridge collapse does not look as dramatic as the bridge collapse in Tacoma, more lives were lost.
Take a look at 4 common bridge designs.
Draw a 3 column table with headings: Bridge design/Strengths/Weaknesses. Note down in your table the strengths and weaknesses of each type of bridge design. Some of these have already been referred to in the films above. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/build.html
Bridge construction. Follow the links down the LHS of the page to learn more about different types of bridges.
http://bridgepros.com/learning_center/balsa_wood.htm
http://www.howstuffworks.com/bridge.htm
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/bridge_(structure).aspx
Aquinas College Library Resources:
‘Bridge Collapses’ by Michael Dugan 363.12 DUG
‘Story Bridge: Idea to Icon’ by Michael Moy 725.98 MOY
‘Bridges’ by Julie Richards 624.2 RIC
‘Building the Sydney Harbour Bridge’ by John Nicholson 725.98 NIC
‘The Proud Arch: The Story of the Sydney Harbour Bridge’ by David Ellyard 725.98 ELL
‘Suspension Bridge’ DVD0192
‘Structures: Tension, Compression, Shear, Torsion, Cantilever, Bending’ VIDEO 2198
‘Bridges’ VIDEO 2325