Capstone Project

The team and I were very proud of our efforts on this transportable bridge development, involving preliminary assessment, design, and model construction for a bridge that could be used in disaster relief situations where community infrastructure was seriously damaged.

Problem

There are times of disaster and emergency in which infrastructure is damaged and unusable, rendering many people helpless and without rescue. This project aimed to create an easily-transportable and deployable bridge that could be used in such situations to support rescue efforts or evacuation. It needed to be small and as lightweight as possible, while being durable enough to stand up to repeated actuation and loading.

Action

Develop a bridge support structure that could easily pivot while conforming to design constraints
Create CAD and perform analyses on design components
Design and test a hinge system
Create a solution for locking and actuation of the system
Fabricate a physical prototype

Results

Research into existing technology showed that present solutions mainly consisted of deployable and scissor-hinge bridges that were not optimized for the unique challenges of a disaster response scenario. Our final design consisted of metal tapes attached to expanded metal plates, which were actuated from a flat state into a rigid configuration resembling corrugated cardboard. Subsystems of the design, including hinges, locking mechanisms, and abutments were also included. We identified five technical challenges facing the project and underwent analytical work to mitigate them to meet its final success metrics. The final design passed testing for our predetermined loading requirement, and a prototype was delivered within the allotted time frame.