IDEA 210 - How Things Fail, Project 1
Load paths
Researching, modeling, and analyzing a notable work of structural engineering and its forces
The Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
Growing up in Westchester, the Mario M. Cuomo has become a staple part of my travel throughout the county. Not only have I driven over the twin span cable stayed bridge, I've biked across all 3.1 miles of it (there and back). As a structure near and dear to my heart, it felt proper to use as my chosen work of structural engineering.
Photo Credits: https://mariomcuomobridge.ny.gov/
By using drawings of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, I was able to redesign a scaled down model on OnShape, aiming to capture the basic size, shape, and unique geometry of the bridge.
I incorporated the I-beams used underneath the bridge deck, in an effort to show how some of the load paths were supported.
Furthermore, I modeled to scale columns that supported dead weight loads exerted by the bridge. These are complementary to the two towers the cable stays are connected to.
This model was the first step I took in analyzing my structure. It demonstrates the curvature and load points of the bridge. The deck is made of 3D printed PLA, the tower and support columns are made of laser cut 1/8" and 1/4" MDF, and the cables are represented by thin metal wires.
An important design element of the Mario M. Cuomo is the S-curvature of the bridge deck. This was a purposeful decision made to avoid Port Authority Territory so they wouldn’t have any jurisdiction over the bridge’s revenue or operations.
The cable stayed towers are responsible for holding the majority of loads exerted on and by the bridge. I wanted to develop a further iteration of just these towers to demonstrate how the cables operated, using materials with properties more similar to how the cables operate.
Molding Tension
Here, I designed a system that allows users to visualize how tension is used to create a consistent, supported bridge.
Screws hold fishing line in place, and then to adjust tension users can wrap the line around the screw and tighten it, using the head to clamp down the line and hold it taught.
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