Research Questions

During class in week 3, Mr. Jay Bhatt, Drexel University's research librarian, will be visiting to help students with strategies for research. In week 2, Mr. Bhatt spoke to the entire Engineering 103 student body about using the library's website as a main research tool. He showed us where to find different databases to search all sorts of subjects and he helped us to understand which resources to use to find certain types of information.

After completing my first bridge design for Engineering 103 using the West Point Bridge Designer computer program, I have begun to notice patterns that fail and patterns that are successful for bridge truss designs. I have specifically noticed that on alot of designs I came up with, the top of my truss was weaker than the bottom. I understand that this is because of the way weight is dispersed across the bridge, but I would like to learn more about strong triangular designs commonly used in trusses and what it is about these designs thats makes them so popular.

I am hoping that Mr. Bhatt will be able to help me find resources to answer the following questions:

1. Does the design of a truss above/below the road surface of a bridge affect the bridge's potential strength? If so, does placing a truss above the roach surface of the bridge make the bridge stronger or weaker?
2. Is it better for a truss to be made of small triangles of equal size or large triangles of varying sizes?
3. Is there a certain way to go about designing a truss? Are there any base-designs or patterns to follow other than using all triangles?