Building Structures

ARC

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Building Structures.

Project 1

task 1: truss analysis

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task 2: fettuccine truss bridge

Project 2

part 1: group components

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part 2: individual components

Learning Outcomes

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Through manifesting the objectives of this project, we formed a group of 5 members to investigate, analyse and understand the works of a truss bridge structurally; how could it hold such load, what made it strong, how did the load force distribute throughout the components of the bridge and what were the forces that acted upon the components.

This first project, Fettuccine truss bridge, was sub-divided into two main tasks; Task 1, Truss Analysis, and Task 2, Fettuccine Truss Bridge.

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project1: fettuccine truss bridge Truss Analysis TASK 2 Fettuccine Truss Bridge TASK 1

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task 1 truss analysis Truss Analysis was a 5 problem solving questions where each group member had to answer one question individually. This project was to prepare us for the second task of the project through problem solving exercise.

task 2 fettuccine bridge analysis Fettuccine Truss Bridge, was a task where the whole group needed to come up with a design of a perfect truss bridge and build it out of Fettuccine of 600mm span with the help of precedent studies. The bridge would then be tested on the testing day where it would be loaded with a minimum of 5kg load to test out the bridge’s efficiency.

precedent studies Waddel “A” Truss Bridge, Parkville/Trimble, U.S.A, 1898 We had chosen this precedent study to give us further understanding on the procedure of producing a truss bridge. We chose this bridge because we felt like the simplest, strongest and most perfect truss was of a triangular shape.

The Waddel ‘A’ Truss Bridge was designed by John Alexander Low Waddell, a civil engineer and prolific bridge designer. The bridge was originally used as a railroad bridge but later used as a road bridge and then a pedestrian bridge. It was completed in 1898 and it is still being used today.

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design and construction processes During this period, we came up with a few variations of truss bridge design and built prototypes of the deisgns to study which design is the strongest.

After a few trials and errors and tutorial sessions, we made up our minds on a design and started constructing our fettuccine bridge.

Due to being last minute, we built the bridge in just 3 days.

testing day 5 kg On the Testing Day, our bridge was not strong enough to hold such a heavy load. The bridge could only hold the minimum 5 kg.

It then snapped at a few joints where we later had to analyse the reason of the failures.

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identification of failures

structural analysis identification of failures, calculations and improvisations After the testing day we were required to analyse the failures, its reasonings as well as how to improve our bridge to make it stronger. In this analysis, we calculated with the help of the method used in Task 1.

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calculations

improvisation

More bracings could have been added in order to make the bridge more solid and sturdy so that it may hold heavier loads without jeopardizing its form and weight.

The joints could have been joined together in a more efficient way as this will give more stability and more glue could have been used to make the joints stronger.

Additional members could have been implemented into the platform so that the load could have been distributed more smoothly and evenly.

From the calculations, it is very clear that when the weights were placed upon the bridge, the greatest amount of load acted on the diagonal members. The longer diagonal members at the sides failed which brings us to conclude that it could have been reinforced further by adding components in the opposite direction to obtain an even distribution of the loads.

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The project was an integrated project where it involved structural theory, force calculation and basic structural proposal. This project was designed to allow the demonstration of knowledge and understanding of building structure.

This project was to introduce the basic process of building structures design process as well as to enable us to have a holistic experience including concept and structure layout design, building structure engineering considerations, structure members’ sizing and calculations.

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Case Study: Renovation work to a R.C. structure Group Components PART 2 Individual Components PART 1

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part 1 group components 10% of the project is dedicated to groupwork where we chose a terrace house, identified the main beams and columns and then produced measured drawings for the house. This was the main basis of the project. The terrace we had chosen was our friend’s house in Pjs 7, Bandar Sunway.

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part 2 individual components This part of the project required each group member to work individually.

Basically, each person had to come up with a bungalow design from the terraced house and then propose renovation works to the building following certain criteria.

After that, it was required to analyse the structure of the renovation work by calculation and producing the shear force diagram and bending moment diagram.

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Learning Outcomes.

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project1

project2

Through this project, we learned to evaluate, explore and improve attributes of construction materials. We also learned to investigate, explore and apply our understanding of load distribution in a truss. Identifying the tension and compression was also understood quite thoroughly by the excercises given to us and from these excercises, we understand the different arrangements and orientations of members in a truss structure.

This project taught me to identify the structural components of a building, recognize, excute and implement basic procedures of building structure design and helped me produce a structural proposal. I also learned how to produce a complete documentation on structural system of a case study.

This project not only gave me the clear cut of how a structure stands firm and strong but also gave me awareness in design such that it enabled me to design with basic structural considerations.

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