Design your own bridge [JW Competition]

[Blip]

Some of you might've heard of this. It's a piece of software for designing simple bridges and testing them in a simulator which measures stress on individual components of the structure. It is aimed at novices that have no engineering background and it a great way to learn about some the work civil/structural engineers do. There's also an annual competition organized by the Westpoint military Academy in the US if you really get into it. :)

It's quite fun to mess around with and make the bridge collapse when the truck passes :twisted:

My winning design :lol:

http://server3.uploadit.org/files/brotes-bridge.gif.jpg

Get Bridge Designer HERE (http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/download.htm)[/b]

[RC45]

Sorry, there is no Macintosh version.

YES!!!

Die Mac - Die!!! ;)

[ViperASR]

Sorry, there is no Macintosh version.

YES!!!

Die Mac - Die!!! ;)

Amen to that!!

[TransAm]

Cool, I might have to play about with this. I did a B.Sc Engineering degree which is what you do if you're crap at hard maths and can't handle a B.Eng! :oops: This is about my level!! :lol:

[|Nuno|]

This is actually quite nice! And addicting too. :D

My best so far:


http://img161.echo.cx/img161/492/imagem881uw.th.jpg (http://img161.echo.cx/my.php?image=imagem881uw.jpg)

[antonioledesma]

the best and most boring design :mrgreen:
that's why that kind of brigde (I don't remember the name of that arrangement) was used very often
now engineers and architects are looking for new and exciting bridges.
of course I don't think this program allows you to have a weird design

[5vz-fe]

Had a similar program during my first year of engineering. The problem is we have to build it after we design it using pogo sticks, so a design like Blip's would be very "interesting" to build :wink:

[|Nuno|]

the best and most boring design :mrgreen:
that's why that kind of brigde (I don't remember the name of that arrangement) was used very often
now engineers and architects are looking for new and exciting bridges.
of course I don't think this program allows you to have a weird design

Haha, true. But hey, it works! I think it's called arched bridge or something...

I'm gonna work on a different design now.

[Blip]

Had a similar program during my first year of engineering. The problem is we have to build it after we design it using pogo sticks, so a design like Blip's would be very "interesting" to build :wink:

Back in school i made a suspension bridge with tooth picks, cardboard and rope and it supported the wieght of a few matchbox cars :D

[antonioledesma]

I'll try an exotic design and wait to see if that bridge can be strong enough

in my first semester I had to build a bridge with spaghetti straws and white glue (used by carpenters) so the small bridge could withstand a laser printer

[5vz-fe]

^^ That's pretty impressive, did u made it?

[antonioledesma]

yes, it was a bitch. But one of the objectives was to have a light brigde.
if your brigde withstanded the printer, then the bridge was weighed. So the winner had the lightest and strongest bridge.

you could see brigdes that weighed 2 kilos :lol: and broke :lol:

[5vz-fe]

lol....no replacement for ..umm....weight.....that's a new theory keke

can I paint carbonfibre sticks into spaghetti like sticks and make the bridge =P~ I am sure I will win

[Blip]

How about we have a small competition to see who can make the best bridge :twisted:

The aim is to make the CHEAPEST bridge, which still passes the load test. Who's in ?

[|Nuno|]

How about we have a small competition to see who can make the best bridge :twisted:

The aim is to make the CHEAPEST bridge, which still passes the load test. Who's in ?

Count me in. So far I'm only at 190K though...

Gotta work harder!

[antonioledesma]

ok, I'm in, but when is the deadline?

[Blip]

Bridge Design Competition Rules

Aim:
To design the lowest costing bridge which passes the load test.

DeadLine:
After 1 week. (29th June)

Requirements:
Each entry must be accompanies with a custom shot :wink:
Slow down the animation speed during the load test, and take a printscreen after the truck has completely cleared the bridge. We must be able to see the total cost.

Prize:
Winner will have bragging rights for being the best bridge designer on JW :D

[Blip]

My 1st Entry.

Total Cost = 180,931.41

Custom Shot
http://img120.echo.cx/img120/4459/blip7mg.th.jpg (http://img120.echo.cx/my.php?image=blip7mg.jpg)

[|Nuno|]

Neat, now I'll get back to work. :D


I'm at 182K so far, how about you guys?

[Blip]

2nd entry

Total Cost = 166,146.73

Custom shot
http://img249.echo.cx/img249/6696/blip23rf.th.jpg (http://img249.echo.cx/my.php?image=blip23rf.jpg)

The truck barely made it across. The whole bridge was shaking up and down :lol:

[|Nuno|]

Hmm, it's gonna be hard to catch you...
____________

1st entry:

Total Cost= 178,006.14

http://img184.echo.cx/img184/128/uppppp0jp.th.jpg (http://img184.echo.cx/my.php?image=uppppp0jp.jpg)

[antonioledesma]

damn... and I was aiming to 170,000

[|Nuno|]

Anyone else willing to participate on the contest? :D

We're kinda short on participants, and if no one else is interested we'll have to cancel it... :bah:

[antonioledesma]

I say that unless Nuno comes with a great design, Blip will be the winner :wink:

[|Nuno|]

I say that unless Nuno comes with a great design, Blip will be the winner :wink:

And I'll say you're correct, sir. :wink:


But haven't given up yet!




P.S.: We still need more people. :P

[RC45]

http://img214.echo.cx/img214/7599/bridge12il.th.jpg (http://img214.echo.cx/my.php?image=bridge12il.jpg)

$166,607.80

Close...

[666fast]

$164,316.92

http://img201.echo.cx/img201/143/clipboard014mm.th.jpg (http://img201.echo.cx/my.php?image=clipboard014mm.jpg)

[5vz-fe]

Nice work 666

[666fast]

Nice work 666

Thanks. Dont' forget to think of the height of the circles dealies. Too high and you just waste money having to use longer poles. Too low and you have to use thicker poles.

BTW, that bridge is entirely hollow tubes.

[RC45]

http://img62.echo.cx/img62/2258/bridge23fx.th.jpg (http://img62.echo.cx/my.php?image=bridge23fx.jpg)

$162,915.39 ;)

[Blip]

http://img62.echo.cx/img62/2258/bridge23fx.th.jpg (http://img62.echo.cx/my.php?image=bridge23fx.jpg)

$162,915.39 ;)

RC we don't doubt your honesty but your custom shot is invalid.
The truck needs to have completely left the bridge. :wink: (because sometimes the bridge will collapse at the end)

[RC45]

http://img62.echo.cx/img62/2258/bridge23fx.th.jpg (http://img62.echo.cx/my.php?image=bridge23fx.jpg)

$162,915.39 ;)

RC we don't doubt your honesty but your custom shot is invalid.
The truck needs to have completely left the bridge. :wink: (because sometimes the bridge will collapse at the end)

No problem - Integrity intact, along with thr bridge... ;)

http://img282.echo.cx/img282/9905/bridge39tb.th.jpg (http://img282.echo.cx/my.php?image=bridge39tb.jpg)

[SKYLiNE_R33]

topic stickied while the competition is on :D

[RC45]

Ta very much indeedy. :)

[|Nuno|]

2nd entry:

Total Cost= 165.658,41

http://img243.echo.cx/img243/9301/ugfufyogfoygfogoifoigfy3qg.th.jpg (http://img243.echo.cx/my.php?image=ugfufyogfoygfogoifoigfy3qg.jpg)

[RC45]

Current Rankings

1st - $162,915.39 - RC45
2nd - $163 987,69 - Darkel
3rd - $164.250,74 - |Nuno|
4th - $164,316.92 - 666fast
5th - $165.007,81 - Thamar
6th - $166,146.73 - Blip
7th -

[Darkel]

$164 131,70
http://img100.echo.cx/img100/8286/bridge0qy.th.jpg (http://img100.echo.cx/my.php?image=bridge0qy.jpg)

[tigerx]

shhit i use to LOVE playing aorund with this shit in grade 9 LOOL. i gotta try this again.

[Darkel]

A little better, $163 987,69
http://img198.echo.cx/img198/504/bridge5tf.th.jpg (http://img198.echo.cx/my.php?image=bridge5tf.jpg)

[Minacious]

I'll give it a go a little later on.

[|Nuno|]

$164.250,74

http://img53.echo.cx/img53/5974/ppppppppppppppp7pk.th.jpg (http://img53.echo.cx/my.php?image=ppppppppppppppp7pk.jpg)

[Blip]

guys try making a new design instead of all having a replica of each other.

The 2005 real contest winners got to around 150,000 :shock:
http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/2005results.htm

[|Nuno|]

guys try making a new design instead of all having a replica of each other

Kinda hard... The best I could do without using the current one was around 166K. :bah:

[Darkel]

That seems to be the less expensive one, but there are lots of things to do to lower the price, like RC did :bah:

[RC45]

The devil is ALWAYS in the details ---

The top design submitted in the Semi-Final Round is shown above. Created by Team ThereIsNoBridge, this bridge has a cost of $75,377.51 (not including the site cost).

We are including the site cost :P

[blinkmeat]

http://img169.echo.cx/img169/4577/hydro6ce.png

All this and only $ 608,372.52

[RC45]

Current Rankings

1st - $162,915.39 - RC45
2nd - $163 987,69 - Darkel
3rd - $164.250,74 - |Nuno|
4th - $164,316.92 - 666fast
5th - $165.007,81 - Thamar
6th - $166,146.73 - Blip
7th -

[5vz-fe]

I vote for blinkmeat!!! His looks very grand

[|Nuno|]

Tried something different, but didn't work... :bah:

http://img8.echo.cx/img8/5205/arched3hq.th.jpg (http://img8.echo.cx/my.php?image=arched3hq.jpg)

There's still room for improvement though.


So I went back to the previous design...

http://img8.echo.cx/img8/9807/iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii1eh.th.jpg (http://img8.echo.cx/my.php?image=iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii1eh.jpg)

...And beat Darkel by 3 bucks. :mrgreen:

[RC45]

Current Rankings

1st - $162,915.39 - RC45
2nd - $163,984.87 - |Nuno|
3rd - $163,987.69 - Darkel
4th - $164,316.92 - 666fast
5th - $165,007.81 - Thamar
6th - $166,146.73 - Blip
7th -





It's getting down to penny shaving now... ;)

[saadie]

http://img291.echo.cx/img291/8981/image10na.th.jpg (http://img291.echo.cx/my.php?image=image10na.jpg)
166,512.27$$ .... :D
still working on it

[5vz-fe]

I know I am abit late...but don't have time till the weekends to really put time in penny shaving. <sigh> unfortunately, still can't beat RC's desgin... :oops:

http://img103.echo.cx/img103/1552/5vzbridge9ua.th.jpg (http://img103.echo.cx/my.php?image=5vzbridge9ua.jpg)

$163,502.8x

[RC45]

Current Rankings

1st - $162,915.39 - RC45
2nd - $163,502.82 - 5vz-fe
3rd - $163,984.87 - |Nuno|
4th - $163,987.69 - Darkel
5th - $164,316.92 - 666fast
6th - $165,007.81 - Thamar
7th - $166,146.73 - Blip
8th - $166,512.27 - saadie

[abbor]

guys try making a new design instead of all having a replica of each other.


The best thing would have been not showing the pics of the construction before the contest ends, so that no one could be taken as a copier... Because obviously of course people are inspired when they see the others work...

[saadie]

$165,974.44
http://img37.echo.cx/img37/1399/image26qi.th.jpg (http://img37.echo.cx/my.php?image=image26qi.jpg)
:D

[RC45]

Current Rankings

1st - $162,915.39 - RC45
2nd - $163,502.82 - 5vz-fe
3rd - $163,984.87 - |Nuno|
4th - $163,987.69 - Darkel
5th - $164,316.92 - 666fast
6th - $165,007.81 - Thamar
7th - $165,974.44 - saadie
8th - $166,146.73 - Blip

[5vz-fe]

Looks like the RC model has been the most popular so far :wink:

[RC45]

Well it's not really mine - I had a variation, but was struggling to get it below 167K, until I saw that you could get rid of 2 more cross members - since someone else had done just that ;)

[philios55]

Thats should be interesting, i will give it a go later this week !!!!!

[kjekki]

wow, this is so perfect..
just began studying technologydesign..
the first day at school we got a pack of spaghetti and glue. we have a week to build a one meter long bridge wich have to stand a two kilo pressure on the middle.. perfect program :D

[leo_26782]

I just discovered that. I'll give it try to see if i can beat you all :twisted:

[Mers]

For some reason the win2k version isn't working with me...damn...

[leo_26782]

Without looking at allready done bridges: 172'000 $!

I discover this late and I suck at it :x

[ae86_16v]

Sorry, there is no Macintosh version.

YES!!!

Die Mac - Die!!! ;)

Amen to that!!

Damn it. . .

[Mattk]

This is great. I made a really cheap one by putting the bridge really low, making it more stable, necessitating fewer members. I then created ridiculous metal sculptures on top of my bridge.

[5vz-fe]

Wow, mate, u brought up a 9 months old thread without even having a screenshot of ur bridge....bravo!! :mrgreen:

[saadie]

^^ we all know what hapenned ;) :prr: