TRUSS PROJECT
Boston University, Mechanics I (Statics), Fall 2017
This team project consisted of three parts:
1. A lab where the truss beams (straws) were tested for their maximum load based on their length. The data was analyzed and a fit was determined.
2. Two preliminary truss designs were created. A Matlab program was written to calculate the force in each beam based on a known load connected at a joint. The program could also calculate the truss cost, maximum load at the loaded joint, and the load-to-cost ratio. The designs were compared to understand what caused the magnitude of the maximum load to increase or decrease. The critical member, the one to fail first, was identified for each design.
3. A final design was created and built. The design was then tested to withstand a known load. It was also tested to see how well the maximum load was predicted.