Bridge Construction

Your Truss Bridge

Drawing

Typical Bridge Joint

10mm x 10mm Tube 6mm x 10mm Tube

4mm Bar

Schedule of Truss Members

Schedule of Gusset Plates

Prefabricate the Bars

1) Draw 31, 4mm parallel lines

2) Carefully cut, requires multiple passes

Prefabricate the Tubes

• Tube templates to be drawn on file-folder• Tubes determine load carrying capacity

Tubes Continued

Fold the tubes with a straight edgeRubber cement the flap and inside free edge

Finished Tubes

Structure Construction

Pin the gussets, wood glue the bottom chord, trim and wood glue the diagonal bars

Done!!

The completed bridge, ready for testing

Acknowledgements

• This presentation is based on Learning Activity #1, Build a Model of a Truss Bridge, from the book by Colonel Stephen J. Ressler, P.E., Ph.D., Designing and Building File-Folder Bridges