Balsa Wood Vertical Lift Bridge
Document Type
Poster
Event Website
https://source2022.sched.com/
Start Date
16-5-2022
End Date
16-5-2022
Keywords
Truss Analysis, Strength of Materials, Statics, Balsa Wood, Articulate, Bridge
Abstract
How can college students demonstrate the cumulative knowledge and skills acquired during their time in the Mechanical Engineering and Technologies program at Central Washington University? Students were asked to complete a senior project to display their skills, in this case a Balsa Wood Bridge was selected to highlight the student's capabilities. The ability to design, manufacture and test the Balsa Wood Bridge draws from competency in Strength of Materials, and Statics, specifically, truss analysis. This along with experience in computer modelling programs such as Solidworks and MDsolids, and manufacturing experience in the CWU Woods lab led to the completion of a Balsa Wood Bridge. Some of the bridge building processes included visual inspection of the balsa wood, measuring, cutting, and sanding the balsa wood before fastening it together with wood glue. The resulting Balsa Wood Bridge meets several design requirements that were previously decided upon by the project white paper. The bridge can successfully support a load of 20kg while traversing a span of 400mm. The bridge also can articulate vertically 200mm with the use of a modified fishing reel where less than 5g of force is exerted. The total weight of the bridge is less than the limit of 85g, weighing only 79g. The design, manufacturing, and testing of the Balsa Wood Bridge senior project successfully highlights the students' abilities that were cultivated through the MET program at CWU.
College of Education and Professional Studies Presentation Award Winner.
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Emeri, "Balsa Wood Vertical Lift Bridge" (2022). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 66.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2022/CEPS/66
Department/Program
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Additional Mentoring Department
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Poster
Balsa Wood Vertical Lift Bridge
How can college students demonstrate the cumulative knowledge and skills acquired during their time in the Mechanical Engineering and Technologies program at Central Washington University? Students were asked to complete a senior project to display their skills, in this case a Balsa Wood Bridge was selected to highlight the student's capabilities. The ability to design, manufacture and test the Balsa Wood Bridge draws from competency in Strength of Materials, and Statics, specifically, truss analysis. This along with experience in computer modelling programs such as Solidworks and MDsolids, and manufacturing experience in the CWU Woods lab led to the completion of a Balsa Wood Bridge. Some of the bridge building processes included visual inspection of the balsa wood, measuring, cutting, and sanding the balsa wood before fastening it together with wood glue. The resulting Balsa Wood Bridge meets several design requirements that were previously decided upon by the project white paper. The bridge can successfully support a load of 20kg while traversing a span of 400mm. The bridge also can articulate vertically 200mm with the use of a modified fishing reel where less than 5g of force is exerted. The total weight of the bridge is less than the limit of 85g, weighing only 79g. The design, manufacturing, and testing of the Balsa Wood Bridge senior project successfully highlights the students' abilities that were cultivated through the MET program at CWU.
College of Education and Professional Studies Presentation Award Winner.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2022/CEPS/66
Faculty Mentor(s)
Charles Pringle, Jeunghwan Choi