BRIDGE BUILDING WORKSHOP , KPR Institute Engineering and Technology, Autonomous Engineering Institution, Coimbatore, India

Civil engineers design and construct bridges to meet transportation needs related to traffic, commuting time and over-passing. A range of bridge designs exist, and the choice of which type of bridge to construct depends on space, bridge span, availability and cost of materials, and the budget. Each bridge type has its own structural design depending on service loads, expected traffic, weather, geographical position and seismic activity. Civil engineers take into account the stresses and deformations in all the structural elements of the bridge during the design process. Material selection is another aspect of the design process. The most common materials utilized in bridge construction include steel, concrete, wood and bricks. In this activity, students work as civil engineers to design, construct and test their bridge prototypes. Students identify different bridge designs and construction methods. They work in construction teams to create paper bridges based on existing bridge designs. Students progressively realize the importance of the structural elements in each bridge. As they work, students experience tension and compression forces acting on structural elements of the two bridge prototypes. In conclusion, students discuss the material properties of paper and compare bridge designs with performance outcomes.
After this activity, students should be able to:
1. Explain the need for bridges in our communities.
2. Identify materials used for bridges construction and explain the properties of these materials.
3. Identify the structural elements of bridges.
4. Identify the forces acting on bridges.
5. Build model bridges and able to understand the maximum loading and failure pattern.