The Design Process
What is the first step of the Engineering Design Process?
Identify the Problem
What is the branch of Civil Engineering that deals with water flow, irrigation, and other related services?
Water Resources
What type of bridge is located in Celebration Park in Idaho?
A Truss bridge
What is Compression?
A pushing force that squeezes or shortens a material
What is the primary purpose of a Civil Engineer?
Designing and constructing infrastructure like bridges, roads, and buildings.
In what stage of our design process do we test our solutions?
Create and/or Try it Out
What is the branch of Civil Engineering that deals with soil compositions and creating strong foundations?
Geo-Technical Engineering
What are some common examples of supports used to improve the structural integrity of a bridge?
Trusses (Angular) and Suspensions (Cable-supported)
What is Friction?
A force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact
What three bracing systems do coffer dams use to prevent it from collapsing?
Whales, Struts, and Braces
Should a good engineer be happy with a one-and-done design?
No; The final step in our design process (Make It Better) is all about finding ways to improve, simplify, and upgrade our designs
What kinds of engineers might be called in to help design, construct, and repair a suspension bridge?(Remember some fields have overlap!)
Transportation, Construction, and Structural Engineers all have experience that would be relevant to this process.
What do civil engineers who work on bridges need to build in order to avoid being overwhelmed by problems caused by oncoming water?
A Coffer Dam
What is Tension?
A force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact
A bridge is designed to carry vehicles that each weigh 2,000 kg. A truck carrying 5 of these vehicles crosses the bridge at the same time. The bridge is designed to handle a load of 30,000 kg. What is the total weight on the bridge when the truck and vehicles cross?
Will the bridge be able to support this load?
Yes, depending on the weight of the truck. The total weight of the carried cars is 10,000 lbs. If we assume the truck weighs 20,000 lbs, then the total weight is exactly at the bridges capacity.
20,000 + 10,000 = 30,000
30,000 = 30,000 (Yes)
What should we do after we identify a problem that requires us to engineer a solution?
Explore (Step 2 in our design process)
What kind of engineer might be called in to help coordinate the cleanup of an oil spill?
An Enviornmental Engineer
Based on our experiments, is a bridge stronger when it's longer, or shorter? Why or why not? What forces are at work?
No - the longer a bridge is, the more stress points it can develop and the weaker it tends to be overall, unless properly supported; Gravity is the main culprit.
What does a "load" or "load-bearing" refer to in the field of Engineering?
Any external force (or pressure) applied to a structure or component, such as a building, bridge, or machine, that can cause stress, deformation, or displacement
What were the names of two Key Idahoans who helped engineer solutions to turn the dry, arid, sagebrush-filled desert into habitable farmland?
Ira Buren Perrine & James H. Lowell
In what stage of our design process might an engineer ask these questions: / "What are the core requirements and limitations?" / "How do our potential solutions compare?"/ "How can I ensure it meets the requirements?"
Design (Step 3 of our Design Process)
What is a recent, local example of construction engineering in action?
The moving of the John C. Rice House from the College of Idaho Campus to elsewhere in Caldwell.
What is the name of the bridge in China that is currently the longest bridge in the world?
The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge
What is Torsion?
A twisting force that causes a material to rotate around its axis
A road is being built with a 4% grade, meaning the road rises 4 meters for every 100 meters of horizontal distance. How much vertical distance will the road rise over 300 meters of horizontal distance?
12 Meters