Truss Fun, Second Edition - Softcover

Harris, David W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0967549523 ISBN 13: 9780967549521

Publisher: Baha Enterprises Llc

Synopsis

This book describes basic engineering principles in a fun and easy manner using simple physics and mathematics. Historic railroad trusses are used as examples. Perfect for projects for high school and early college students. Also ideal for hobbyists and historians.

New in the second edition are the newspaper bridge projects. Imagine building a bridge from rolled newspaper and walking across. Fun examples and ideas to start such a project for individuals or contest ideas are included. More detailed information, fun video clips, and other resources are contained on the CD, The Newspaper Truss and Other Newspaper Bridges, also available for sale.

Students will learn basic engineering principles from the easy to understand, step-by-step, text, and over 100 figures. Historic photos and drawings are provided from extensive research to show the principles discussed. A workbook is included as the last part of the book with fun, hands-on projects, and problems to aid in the understanding of the principles. The projects range from "the carrot truss", a few minute simple project, to more advanced ideas. Research ideas are suggested, including on-line sources such as the extensive Library of Congress InterNet resources. A computer program for analysis of trusses is printed in the text, and spreadsheet examples are used. Text and problems are classroom tested.

Hobbyists will gain new insight into engineering principles. Historic drawings are included with illustrations of conversion for use in models. Many different types of trusses could be produced from the provided pictures, drawings and illustrations.

Also try our CD Learning Product - The Newspapr Truss and Other Newspaper Bridges - also from Amazon

About this title

About the Author

Dr. David W. Harris is a professional engineer. He was trained at the University of Maryland, Texas A&M University, University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Colorado. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation employs Dr. Harris as the chief of the Materials and Structural Engineering Laboratory.

Dr. Harris has always been interested in ways to teach basic ideas about engineering. He has been an instructor for High School Advanced Learning Programs, and a College Professor. In this new book he makes engineering fun, interesting, and rewarding. Imagine building a bridge from newspaper and walking across. Try this new book.

From the Inside Flap

The American Society of Civil Engineers has categorized engineering as a stealth profession, that is work which most people don t know about or understand. Yet, engineering is around us every day in things that we see and the way things work. I hope to provide an interesting and fun way for everyone to experiment and understand some basic concepts of engineering. Engineering isn t stealth, it is science and common sense combined.

Imagine designing something as important as a railroad bridge for the first time over 100 years ago. With a pencil, a big piece of paper, maybe a slide rule, and some basic principles, the engineers set out to conquer the gorges, rivers, and passes with truss bridges. We still use these principles today. These turn of the century examples are used in this book for fun and interest. Big problems were solved without computers or even calculators. Walk through time and through easy principles to learn about engineering, make a hobby more fun, or just to understand the history of science. Most important - make it fun.

Since writing the first edition I have met many great students. They were smart, they were enthusiastic, they were fun, they were good engineers. In the second edition some of their work is shown. Try the challenge, see if you can build a bridge from rolled newspaper and walk across!!!

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1 -Introduction

Somehow it seems only natural that when we encounter a small stream, we try to jump over it. When encountering a wider stream, we see if we can toss a stone all the way across. The desire to cross and see what is on the other side is somewhat inherent in human nature.

The desire by people to travel about was one of the earliest incentives to build bridges. Trade and transport of goods were soon to follow. Early bridges date to the days before Christ. Early bridge builders used large flat rocks laid on stones in the river and trees felled singly or together. During the Roman era developments were made in bridge building techniques using stone and an early form of concrete to make circular arches. Simple trusses were constructed in this period. Made of wood, these trusses could span 20-60 feet. These simple designs are still common today.

The advent of the railroad brought a sudden demand for bridges. Developments in bridge design and construction progressed simultaneously in Europe and in the United States. In Europe, the main efforts were focused on the development of the metal girder and design of the arch. In the United States, however, interest focused on the development of the truss, first in wood, later in iron, and finally in steel. It was only natural that with the wealth of timber the United States would develop principles suitable to design with wood.

The truss is one of the major types of engineering structures today. Generally, the truss is made by forming triangles with members which are joined at the intersections with a connection (a joint). Loads applied to the truss are carried along members.

Trusses are used in many applications. They can be spotted when house roofs are being constructed, in towers that support power lines, as well as in bridges. Trusses may be small or they can be large.

Simple, small trusses were used initially. As longer spans were needed, more complicated trusses came into use. What makes simple trusses fun is that they can be understood using simple principles of math and engineering. This book explains these simple principles in a fun way.

These principles are the foundation of Civil Engineering and other fields of engineering. Much of engineering can be intuitive as it is the study of the constructed features around us all of the time.

In the following chapters examples and drawings are used to help visualize the principles discussed. Bridges are used to make the explanations but watch for trusses all around you.

Edition details

• Publisher: Baha Enterprises Llc
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0967549523
• ISBN 13: 9780967549521
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 160