Bridge Project
Bridges are structures used by people and vehicles to make crossing areas easier in travel. Engineers build bridges over rivers, lakes, ravines, canyons, railroads, and highways.
They must be built strong enough to safely support their own weight as well as the weight of the people and vehicles that pass over it. The bridge must also withstand natural occurrences that include weathering, earthquakes, strong winds, and freezing and thawing.
Bridges are a part of everyday life for those who commute from place to place. Like roads, we need them in order to travel whether by bus or car or train. They are, therefore, an interesting and relatable topic to write about. Since they are so common, there are likely to be plenty of available resources about them.
Your job is to create a poster and model of a famous bridge. This bridge must be a beam, arch, or suspension bridge. You may want to research a few different bridges and then choose one that you want to focus on for your poster. Your group must purchase a white poster from the store or give Ms Herdter or Ms Ruggeri 50 cents to purchase on for you. This poster will be completed in class on Monday April 29 and Tuesday April 30 using your materials that you have collected from your research on Thursday and Friday this week.
Your poster must contain the following:
1. Length, Width, Height, Weight, Load Capacity, Site, Span- If you cannot find this information while doing your initial research, then you may want to choose another bridge.
2. A brief history of your chosen bridge
3. The type of bridge (beam, arch, or suspension)
4. Materials
5. A photograph of the bridge
6. 2 different drawings showing 2 different views (include labels of parts of bridge, tension, and compression)
7. 1 Orthographic Drawing (You may need to look this up to figure out what this is)
8. 3 Fun facts!
9. Bridge Model
Your poster must also include a model to go with it. You will have a chance to work on this model in class on Monday April 29 and Tuesday April 30. You are strongly encouraged to bring in materials to class other than the provided materials which will be cardboard, Popsicle sticks, yarn, and Elmers glue.
We will display these posters and models for the entire 8th grade on Wednesday May 1.