Sunday, May 6, 2012

Jonathan- Week 6 Blog Entry

Last week, we all got to have more time to experiment with the Knex. We took turns building the bridges we proposed for our second assignment and kept the two bridges that seemed best. Disel got to take his bridge back because of his interesting web design that holds the two planes together, and Soichiro brought his back because it seemed like it could hold a lot of weight for its size. Before coming back to the Week 6 Lab, we will all adjust these bridges and try to find the most efficient designs for them. There aren't really any conflicts at the moment, other than deciding whose bridge will be the best.

I don't think my opinion about the similarities and differences between the Knex and WPBD has changed. Comparing the Knex pieces to an actual 20' bridge is another story. Some of the similarities between the two are that they are both physically capable of holding load before our eyes. Another is that they both make uses of trusses and gusset plates. However, I think the main difference is that the Knex will serve as more of a model compared to an actual sized bridge. The knex also limits you the the sizes of trusses that you can use, and the angles of the gusset plates. You can not reinforce any of the connections on the Knex, which makes every joint as flimsy as the rest.

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