Design a Bridge: Win a scholarship to Westpoint

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2003-01-20 01:53am

http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/

You basically download a program, design a bridge using the least amount of money (that still supports a truck, of course), then submit it. I've gotten one with 159k, but I know a few people with less than 130k. Download it, its well worth it even if you don't plan on getting a scholarship.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-01-20 02:05am

*laughs at the idea of me at West Point*

*everyone else laughs at my bridge*

Raptor 597 · Post by **Raptor 597** » 2003-01-20 02:40am

I'll be making smaller scale wooden bridges about a foot or so long that usually support over 500 pounds of pressure in Materials and Processes nxt yer. And since I'm going too west Point anyway everything comes
into place.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-01-20 03:02am

Currently have a bridge at $155,929.17. Working the stress tolerances to get it down, I think I can cut another 2-3k, but not more than that on this design. Already pushing some members farther than I like, but when cost is a priority...

Hyperion · Post by **Hyperion** » 2003-01-20 03:04am

I DL'd it out of curiousity, now it asks me to reboot... urrrghh...

At least it'll be useful in my engineering class.

Well, so far even using one of their templates, the bridges fail even before the truck gets on....

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-01-20 03:06am

Perhaps someone should ask Wong to help them out on this

Or is civil engineering a bit different from his field?

Raptor 597 · Post by **Raptor 597** » 2003-01-20 03:16am

The best bridges are also the curved ones. I believe they holdmore for less weight.

Seggybop · Post by **Seggybop** » 2003-01-20 03:20am

So THIS is what my friends are doing with that thing... alright.
The program seemed pretty cool when they were using it, except it violates conservation of mass horribly... make a crappy bridge and then test it, and you'll see...

Hyperion · Post by **Hyperion** » 2003-01-20 04:11am

Well, I got some which worked... Lowest cost to have a somewhat successful one was $164k

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-01-20 04:21pm

Which works better for you guys: arches, piers, or free-standing? I've been using mainly piers.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2003-01-20 05:24pm

I've got arches and trusses on par, each a little under 150k.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2003-01-20 06:04pm

Small note that shoudl be scholarship FROM Westpoint. An education at the USMA is free (actually they pay you).

Raxmei · Post by **Raxmei** » 2003-01-20 06:17pm

My best results so far are with piers. I can't seem to keep anything else standing. My lowest cost right now is around $160k.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-01-20 06:27pm

Best bridge right now is $153,341.52. 9 panels long, has a pier in the middle about 4 meters below the asphalt. Won't get much lower, though. All I have left to do is replace some beams with tubes if they're not carrying a compression stress. Tension can be handled by a cheaper tube than bar, but compression needs bars.

Hyperion · Post by **Hyperion** » 2003-01-20 07:07pm

Most of my designs are rather, uhm, odd... Hybrid designs mainly.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-01-20 07:37pm

CmdrWilkens wrote:Small note that shoudl be scholarship FROM Westpoint. An education at the USMA is free (actually they pay you).

There are some charges involved (laundry, uniforms, etc.) but yeah, you do get paid. Rather difficult to get in though and survive (a friend went there and dropped out after the first semester).

paladin · Post by **paladin** » 2003-01-20 08:50pm

What do we get for designing a way to destroy a bridge?

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2003-01-20 09:14pm

Here's my best design if anybody is interested...
Don't expect to win with it though; I know a few people with 130k or less

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-01-20 10:22pm

You're at $148k? Back to the drawing board for me...

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2003-01-20 10:31pm

I've knocked it down to 143k now.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-01-20 10:43pm

141,122.87

Post by **Beowulf** » 2003-01-21 12:02am

$133,767.16

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-01-21 12:35am

My best design so far cost three times that much, is horrible overengineered, and still sags two meters in the middle when the truck passes over it. I should get a job at Starfleet engineering.

ArmorPierce · Post by **ArmorPierce** » 2003-01-21 12:41am

Hmm, looks interesting. Gotta get the program and beat all of you.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2003-01-21 12:52am

RedImperator wrote:My best design so far cost three times that much, is horrible overengineered, and still sags two meters in the middle when the truck passes over it. I should get a job at Starfleet engineering.

3x? Thats VERY expensive... Hell, it sounds like something that our government would do...