spaghetti bridge project - utepme.utep.edu/cmstewart/documents/me1321/project overview.pdf ·...

Spaghetti Bridge Project

Calvin M Stewart, PhDProject Overview

4/26/16

The University of Texas at El Paso

Project Objectives

2

• Use structural analysis methods learned on class and

relate them to real life applications.

• Develop design, writing and analytical skills.

• Encourage team work.

• Promote the use of software analysis.


Overview

3

• Students must design and construct a 450 grams

spaghetti bridge (maximum weight). The bridge

must be made of spaghetti (or any commercial pasta)

and it should be capable of withhold as much weight

as possible.

• Groups Size: 5 members


Team Formation

4

• Teams must have Exactly 5 members.

• Teams must post the “Team Name” and the names

of all members to the Blackboard Forum.

• Students who cannot find a group by the deadline

should contact the TA to request a group

assignment.


Material

5

• ANY commercial pasta can be used. It may be shaped, molded or boiled in water, but no additives of any kind are allowed.

• Commercial hot glue (transparent) shall be the only joining material and may not be used as a structural member. Hot glue can only be used for joints only; continuous strands of glue running along the length of any member are not allowed.

• Do not paint any joint or member of the structure.


Material Bundling

6

Glued JointSpaghetti Glue

Spaghetti

YES NO

Glue at Joints Glue Along Strands


Dimensions

7

• Maximum height 300 mm, Minimum height 150 mm.

• Lowest point of unloaded bridge shall not be more than 60

mm from support’s base.

• Bridge span distance of at least 600 mm

• Continuous pasta road deck of at least 60 mm wide, should

cover the full length of the bridge. There must be a vertical

clearance of at least 60 mm starting from the pasta road deck.


Dimensions cont.

8

• The road deck should not have gaps grater than 1 mm along

the length of the bridge.

• A block of 40 mm x 40 mm x 100 mm (w,h,l) must be able to

pass unobstructed from end to end over the read deck.

• All parts of unloaded road deck must be within 30 mm above

the bridge supports.

60 mm

60 mm


Dimensions cont.

9

• A loading platform with a U bolt or any other attachment

mechanism must be attached to the bottom of the bridge, at the

center of the spam distance.

• Any material can be used as a loading platform, but remember

total weight is a concern. It is your responsibility to make sure

it does not detach from the structure.


Dimensions cont.

10

The vertical edge of the supports shall not be

used as a support in any way.


Testing Procedure

11

• Each bridge will be weighted with its loading platform (the loading platform weight will be part of the total weight).

• Each bridge will be set over two supports that will be simulating a cliff (600 mm apart).

• A initial minimal weight of 1,000 grams (bucket + scale) must be resisted by the structure. This initial weight will be attached to the loading platform.

• Every 30 seconds, 455 grams (1 lb.) of sand will be added to the bucket.

• The winner bridge will be the lightest bridge capable of withhold the most weight.


Design Report

12

• A 10 page, single spaced, double column design report must be written and submitted.

• A template is available on the course website

• http://me.utep.edu/cmstewart/me1321.html

• Students who do not contribute to the group project can be fired by their teammates and will receive zero credit on the project. Teams wishing to fire a teammate must first obtain approval from the Professor.

http://me.utep.edu/cmstewart/me1321.html


Design Report Cont.

13

Don’t put any page that is full of images.


Design Report Cont.

14

Better report sample:


REPORT GRADING (OUT OF 100)

15

Outline (Grading)

• Abstract (10)

• Introduction (10)

• Design Ideas (15)

• Prototype Design (10)

• Prototype Performance (15)

• Structural Analysis (25)

• Background (5/25)

• Analytical Analysis (10/25)

• Numerical Analysis (10/25)

• Conclusion (5)

• Recommendations (5)

Any form of academic dishonesty will

result in the maximum penalty:

EXPLUSION from the Engineering

Program.

Academic Dishonesty includes:

Plagiarism, Fabrication, Deception,

Cheating, Bribery, Sabotage,

Professional Misconduct, and

Impersonation.


Report Submission

• The Design Report will be submitted Online.

Await instructions from the Professor on

exactly how to submit it.

• The Report must be submitted as a PDF file.

• The title must be “TeamName.pdf”

16


Prototype

17

• A prototype spaghetti bridge must be constructed

taking into consideration all the design constraints.

• On May 3rd a prototype testing day will take place,

so that all teams can see weakness and strengths of

their designs.

• All teams are expected to participate.


Grading

18

60 PointsDesign Report

40 PointsFinal Design Performance

Highest R 40 Winners

Lowest R 10 1,000 grams

Bridge Failure 0 Failure

StrengthR

Bridge Weight


Grading

• The grading scale consists of 60 points for the Design Report and 40 points for the Final design performance. The final design performance is based on the bridges’ ability to withhold the maximum weight possible.

• If the bridge does not resist the minimal initial weight (Sand + Bucket=1,000 gr), this will be consider a bridge failure and 0 points will be awarded.

• If a bridge does resist the minimal initial weight, then it will be ranked based on the strength to weight formula where the bridge and attached weights are consider.

• The top bridge will received 40 points of the Final Design Performance grade, while the lowest ranked bridge will received 10 points of the Final Design Performance grade; the rest of the bridges will received points based on their ranking within these two boundaries.

19


Grading

• Teams will be assessed penalties for violating the design requirements related to materials, dimensions, and maximum weight.

• No team that violates the design requirements will be eligible to win the competition.

• Each violation will reduce the final design performance grade by 5 points.

• It is your responsibility to make sure your bridge does not violate the rules. We make NO guarantees that the prototype testing day will catch all your violations. Read the design requirements careful.

20


Schedule

21

4/26/2016• Project Overview

• Introduction to bridge theory

• Form Teams (5 members)

4/28/2016• Post Team Name and Team members to Blackboard

5/3/2016• Prototype Testing (at the design studio)

5/6/2016• Final Design Testing (location to be determined)

5/9/2016• Final Report Due


Spaghetti Bridge competition

example

22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1z66EC4n4o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1z66EC4n4o


Questions?

23

spaghetti bridge project - utepme.utep.edu/cmstewart/documents/me1321/project overview.pdf ·...

Documents