EG1109: Statics and Mechanics of Materials

A Group Project on the Design of A Truss Bridge

Introduction
The head of the engineering department in your company has requested you and your teammate to
perform a preliminary design for a truss bridge spanning across the Singapore River. Figure 1 shows
the location where the bridge will be constructed. Points A and B represent the supports where the
truss bridge will rest upon (The design of supporting system is assigned to a separate group of
engineers. You are thus not required to consider the design of these supports). To facilitate the
preliminary design, you may assume point A as a pin support and point B as a roller support. You are
neither required to design the pavement nor the slabs on the road surface of the bridge.
20 m
A

Singapore river

Figure 1. Location of the truss bridge spanning over Singapore river.

Figure 2. Two-way traffic in four lanes for the bridge (view from the top).

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EG1109: Statics and Mechanics of Materials

Tasks
You are required to submit your design report and give a formal presentation about your preliminary
design for the truss system in the bridge. Your preliminary design should take into account of the
following:
1) You are free to extend your truss either below or above the horizontal level AB. If your truss is to
extend below AB, the vertical distance between AB and the bottom of your truss is limited to 2 m in
order not to interfere any boat traffic below the bridge. The vertical distance between the top of the
truss and AB is limited to 5 m.
2) The bridge will support a two-way traffic, as shown in Figure 2, which includes a total of four lanes.
Perform some simple searches on the traffic load (in the library or otherwise), and estimate the
maximum loading condition the bridge may experience during its service life. Provide justifications
on the loading condition you have selected. (Hint: you may assume fully loaded heavy trucks passing
through the bridge in a severely jammed traffic).
3) Estimate the thickness of the concrete deck and width of the bridge and calculate the weight of the
concrete deck.
4) Based on the loading conditions estimated in 2) and 3), make a reasonable assumption on the load
transfer from the bridge slab to the truss that you are going to design. Design a proper truss system to
support the estimated load, and discuss the advantages of the truss system you have selected. (Hint:
you are free to design any shape for the truss. You may also assume two or more panels of trusses to
support the entire bridge).
5) Calculate the forces in each member of the truss, and select a proper circular hollow section listed
in Table 1 for each member. Estimate the total weight of the steel used. The material you are going to
use is steel with the yield strength of y = 250 MPa. The maximum tensile stress in the truss should
not exceed 0.85y, and the maximum compressive stress in any of the truss members is limited to
0.7y. The density of steel is about 7850 kg/m3. Justify the choice of your sections.
6) (optional and need not to be included in reports or presentations) You may check your design
calculations using a handy app, e.g., the Autodesk ForceEffect available in Android phones/pads or
iphones/ipads.

Requirements

This is a group design project, which you should work with your classmates in your ibtutorial group.
The preliminary design should deliver a safe, functional truss with economic use of materials
and aesthetic appearance.
You are required to submit a design report addressing the tasks listed above. The length of the
report should not exceed 20 pages, using 12-front Time New Roman and double spacing.
The deadline of the report is 24 Oct 2014.
You will present formally your preliminary design in the tutorial class. Each group will be
given 15 minutes to present their design and each member in the group shall present.

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EG1109: Statics and Mechanics of Materials

Table 1. Dimensions of the commercially available circular hollow sections.

d: outer diameter
t: thickness

d (mm)
21.3
26.9
26.9
26.9
33.7
33.7
33.7
33.7
33.7
42.4
42.4
42.4
42.4
42.4
48.3
48.3
48.3
48.3
48.3
60.3
60.3
60.3
60.3
60.3
76.1
76.1
76.1
76.1
76.1
76.1
88.9
88.9
88.9
88.9

t (mm)
3.2
2
2.5
3.2
2
2.5
3
3.2
4
2.5
3
3.2
3.6
4
2.5
3
3.2
3.6
4
2.5
3
3.2
3.6
4
2.5
3
3.2
3.6
4
5
3
3.2
4
5

d (mm)
114.3
114.3
114.3
114.3
114.3
139.7
139.7
139.7
139.7
168.3
168.3
168.3
168.3
168.3
168.3
193.7
193.7
193.7
193.7
193.7
219.1
219.1
219.1
219.1
219.1
219.1
244.5
244.5
244.5
244.5
244.5
244.5
273
273

t (mm)
3
3.2
3.6
4
5
4
5
6
6.3
4
5
6
6.3
10
12.5
5
6.3
8
10
12.5
5
6.3
8
10
12.5
16
6.3
8
10
12.5
16
20
6.3
8

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d (mm)
273
273
273
273
273
323.9
323.9
323.9
323.9
323.9
323.9
323.9
355.6
355.6
355.6
355.6
355.6
355.6
406.4
406.4
406.4
406.4
406.4
406.4
457
457
457
457
457
457
457
508
508
508

t (mm)
10
12.5
16
20
25
6.3
8
10
12.5
16
20
25
8
10
12.5
16
20
25
10
12.5
16
20
25
32
10
12.5
16
20
25
32
40
10
12.5
16