Truss Design 02
The second part of the final project for EK301 (Mechanics) consists of a preliminary design -- or, rather, several preliminary designs and one identified draft. Having the data from the straw lab test and the resultant code to determine the approximate load that a straw can hold based on its length, it took quite a bit of creativity to find the perfect combination of straws. However, to simplify this process, the class was instructed to use a MATLAB code that would take a design and then indicate which member of the truss would fail first. It is important to note that all designs were given the same parameters: Figure: One of two designs selected The truss must be a single, planar, simple truss. Members must be joined concurrently at joints using the provided pins and double pinned to the guest plates. Gusset plates may be any geometry but must have an area of less than 16 sq. cm. All joint-to-joint distances must be at least 10 cm and no longer than 16 cm. The truss mus