Essay on The Physics of a Truss Bridge - 985 Words

Truss Bridge Physics 141 Robin Hoffmeister There is many reason that we need bridges in every day of our life, from sufficient means to pass over a roadway, waterway, railway, or other structure. You don’t even think about them because it takes no effort to get over them and they are just there for your use. So if you don’t think of them for everyday use I highly doubt that you would think of the physics that is involved in putting one together or the kind of force the bridge can actually take. I am going to show you the max force a truss bridge can take by demonstration it to you in class and also by trying to calculate it. I am also going to go over the many ways that truss bridges can fail and come to a tumbling crash. Before†¦show more content†¦Remember that all forces are in equilibrium, so they must add up to zero. 500N 60 ° A T Ac T AB Sum of Fx = Tac + Tab Cos 60 =0 Sum of Fy = Tab sin 60 +500N = 0 Solving for the two above equation we get Tab = -577 N Tac = 289 N When you apply external loads to a structure, external reactions occur at the supports. But internal forces are also developed within each structural member. In a truss, these internal member forces will always be either tension or compression. A member in tension usually stretches, like a rubber band because the tension force tends to make a member longer. This is the opposite for compression. When a member is in compression it is usually being squashed, like squashing a block of foam between your hands. B 289 N 289 N 577 N TAB = -577 N TAC = 289 N B A A 577 N The negative force means that there is a compression force and a positive force means that there is a tension force. Now let’s take a look at point B. 700 N 500 N 2m E D C B A 800N 400N 577 N B 60 ° TBC TBD 400 N Sum of FX= TBD + TBC Cos 60 +577 Cos 60 = 0 Sum of FY = -400 N + 577 Sin 60 – TBC Sin 60 = 0 Once again, solving the two equations TBC = 115 N and TBD = -346 N If we calculated the rest of the forces acting on the various points of out truss, we will seeShow MoreRelatedThe Physics of Bridges Essay541 Words   |  3 PagesPhysics of Bridges The physics behind bridges is more complex than first meets the eye. To assure that a bridge is well-supported many concepts must be understood and used in the correct manner. What is a bridge? A bridge is a complex structure allowing passage across an obstacle: a structure that is built above and across a river, road, or other obstacle to allow people or vehicles to cross it. Bridge forms There are four major forms of bridges: beam, truss, arch, and suspension. 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