Structural Analysis is a required course for junior civil engineering students. They learn the theory of the common methods of analysis of structures during the course; however, do not get to apply such methods to a real project. The paper discusses a competition that provides the students with an opportunity to apply the concepts learned in the class through a hands-on experience on analysis, design, and fabrication of a balsa wood bridge. The project challenges the students to fabricate a wooden truss bridge that yields the highest load bearing capacity and weight ratio to win the competition. In addition, students get to improve their entrepreneurial mindset by applying Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) learning objectives. The student feedback indicated that they found the project a fun and creative way to learn more about trusses and were excited about the competition to test their design.
Dr. Ardakani is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at Ohio Northern University. He has previously served as Project Engineer at Englekirk Structural Engineers and Lecturer at South Dakota State University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from University of Nevada, Reno. His research interests include seismic performance and design of reinforced concrete structures, computational modeling of structures, and engineering education.
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