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Redesigning Bridges Worksheet

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Redesigning Bridges Worksheet

A community group in regional Australia needs a small model bridge to cross a 30 cm gap. Your engineering team has tested a prototype made from craft sticks and glue. Use the test results and bridge illustration below to analyse the design and plan an improvement. Record forces in newtons (N).

A. Analyse the test

The team tested the prototype by adding weights at the centre of the bridge.

Trial

Load at failure (N)

What happened

Centre of deck sagged; one lower joint split

Deck bent; glue at a support joint loosened

A side brace came away and the deck twisted

1.What was the mean failure load across the three trials? Show your calculation.

2.Which failure pattern appears in more than one trial, and what does it suggest the team should inspect?

3.At the centre of a loaded bridge, the top of a bending beam is usually under , while the bottom is usually under .

4.Which conclusion is best supported by the test results?

The prototype consistently failed at the same load.
The results vary, so both the deck and the connections need investigation.
The bridge is strong enough for any load below 20 N.
Only the supports need redesigning.

5.Match each engineering term to its meaning.

Load
Stability
Joint

The ability to stay balanced and resist twisting or tipping
A force or weight placed on a structure
A place where two or more structural pieces connect

B. Plan and justify a redesign

Use the evidence to propose a practical improvement. Consider strength, stability, materials and how the bridge will be tested again.

6.Choose the most useful first redesign action for this prototype.

Add extra decoration to the top of the deck.
Reinforce the centre span and make the glued joints more secure.
Remove the side braces to reduce the number of pieces.
Use fewer supports without changing the deck.

7.Suggest two specific changes to the prototype. For each change, explain which test weakness it is intended to address.

Draw your redesigned bridge. Label at least two changes and use arrows to show where they go. Include the deck, supports and any new braces or joint reinforcement.

8.Write a test plan for the redesigned bridge. State one variable to keep the same, one result to measure, and one way to make the test fair and safe.

9.True or false: A redesign is successful only if the bridge holds a larger load, even if it becomes unstable or uses far more material.

TrueFalse