Assignment Task

You are required to undertake a civil construction design project as outlined below. Your Assessor will take the role of the client for the purposes of this assessment task.

Note that as per the question, you need to provide 2 separate design options, meaning separate drawings for both the options. Also, your answer needs to be in a report format. 

Design Specifications

1. The Problem

You are a civil designer working for the state department of transportation. You have been assigned responsibility for the design of a truss bridge to carry a two-lane highway across the river valley shown below.

2. Design Objective

Satisfy all of the specifications listed below, while keeping the total cost of the project as low as possible.

3. Bridge Configuration

1. The bridge may cross the valley at any elevation from the high water level to 24 meters above the high water level.
2. If the elevation of the bridge is below 24 meters, excavation of the river banks will be required to achieve the correct highway elevation.
3. To provide clearance for overhead power lines (shown above), the highest point on the bridge may not exceed an elevation 32.5 meters above the high water level (8.5 meters above the top of the river banks).

4. Member Properties

• Each member of the truss will be made of either carbon steel, high-strength low-alloy steel, or quenched and tempered steel.
• The members of the truss can be either solid bars or hollow tubes. Both types of cross-sections are square.
• Member Size. Both cross-sections are available in a variety of standard sizes.