Architect & Researcher

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After testing many preliminary designs, the motivation for the truss final design is a combination of maximizing the load-to-cost ratio and maximizing the total budget, such that the budget would be fully expended while maintaining a high load-to-cost ratio. The truss design should be safe in carrying the load for a period of time, which was a concern the group considered during the preliminary design. The group’s motivation at the time was to make the truss design carry the 500 g load with absolute assurance that the truss would not fail by any means. During the design stage, this concern was resolved with the creation of MATLAB code which would calculate the members’ tension and compression values. The straw analysis would also help determine whether the members’ lengths would be safe enough to withstand its respective values using member buckling loads. 

Using a MATLAB simulation, a failure load of 1881 g was realized, making it the truss design capable of withstanding the greatest load.