This isn't really computer modding, but that's ok. Alright guys, here's the deal- I have to build a popsicle stick bridge for math. It has to span a distance of 40 cm, be under 100 grams, and be built only of popsicle sticks and white elmers glue. If anybody here has any ideas or has built one of these before, i'd appreciate any comments. So far, i have found a design such as this to be the most efficient-
Haha sucker, we have a program called model smart at school that does just this Not popsicle sticks but same idea. Anyways it's hardly a project log, but use lots of triangles as they're very strong.
Did you already google for "popsicle bridge"? You find entertaining things like http://www.mohawkc.on.ca/events/popstick/download.html . What other constraints are there? If 40cm is all let it hang like a chain bridge. In your design the bottom rails on each side are tension loaded. Im sure you can split the pop sicles in half or sand each a little thinner in the middle to save weight.
Of all the designs in my engineering class last quarter, the inverted V shape worked best. Very strong.
isn't that because it takes the tension and splits it between 2 points, thus reducing the single beam load bairing??? I don't know much about engineering, but both my grandad and uncle were in the army as engineers, so I picked up a little. If this is the case could you not add more struts???
it'd be a good idea to spear the glue over any surface you can get to. this will fill in any flaws in the surface and also add strength.
i am going to recomend This we used it in our CAD lass to design our bridges, then built them out of balsa wood.
I've started some preliminary designs based on the pdf's in this site- http://pacifi.ca/popsicle.html Ill post pics later
search for something called westpoint bridge builder or something like that. *edit*check out the USDMA link
ehh whatever 1000 times their own weight, pff in high school me and my partner built a bridge that held 2500 times its own weight IF i remember correctly it looked like this The key is that you need to keep the top to be strong enough to be able to compress but not lose its form , and the bottom needs to be held up by moving the weight to the the sides. Heh it weighed about 200 grams and held 500 lbs. We had to go into the weight room to go get more weight it was freaking ridiculous seeing over 10 45 plates on the thing, it didnt look real, finally the glue just gave up and the whole thing collapsed. edit, wow just found a design that held over 4000 times its own weight thats pretty amazing it only weighed 100 grams !
Our phyisics bridge project was completed about a week ago. I was one of the people responsible for testing the bridges and there was 1 amazing bridge that I came by. This bridge was built completely out of paper and glue. The paper was pressed into I-beams and cut for weight reasons. It was a Trapezoidal truss design. The bridge weighed 499 grams and held 567 punds. That's over 500 times its weight over a 50 cm gap. The bridge itself never failed. The Wooden block supporting the J-hook that held the weights we were stacking literally slipped through the paper bridge. This girl's dad was an architect and she used a press unavailabe to everyone with the project, so her score probably won't go on our shool records, but I think it could have held 800 pounds easily before it exploded (the strong bridges usually shatter). I think her bridge was astounding given it was made of paper and spanned a 50 cm gap.
