Project, 2005

Final Due Dates:

	Friday, April 15. Submit group names. If you are proposing a separate project, a brief proposal should be turned in (see below)
	Monday, May 9: 10-minute presentations to be given in class. A report, in written or website form,  should be turned in.

You may work individually or in pairs. If necessary, a group of three will be allowed, since the class has an odd number of (odd) students. The scope of the project undertaken should be greater for larger groups.

The suggested course project is a study of the new Providence river I-195 Bridge. The details of that project are posted here. 

You are free, however, to  study a different structure of your choosing. Some suggested topics are posted.  You may wish to study the structure of a design you have developed in another course (eg en3, en31, en193), or investigate a structural aspect of a research problem.

If you do decide to undertake a different problem, consider the following:

1. Choose an application with geometry that is relatively easily modelled and consists of beams, arches, cables, and/or and truss elements
2. Choose a problem that can be simplified as much as possible. Ideally, you should be able to set up a 2D approximation to your problem before attempting a 3D model. The results of your simple calculations will guide you in setting up the more complex model. Bear in mind that the results you get and how you interpret them are the most important part of the project – not the complexity of the analysis.
3. Make sure that the objectives of your analysis are clear. Projects that are less successful tend to be vague – just calculating a stress distribution or a deformation of a solid is not very interesting in its own right, unless the results tell you something useful.

If you wish to undertake a different problem, please speak with me as soon as possible. You (and your partner if you have one) are asked to submit a brief project proposal on or before April 15th. The proposal should be typewritten, be less than one page in length, and should include 

	Motivation for the project
	The goal of the project
	The type(s) of analyses you intend to perform
	Sketches or drawings as needed.

The Report:

Each group should prepare a brief report which may be submitted as a written paper or as a website. Include:

·         A brief recap of the motivation and goal of the project

·         A description and basis for the dead and live loads considered.

·         An overall description of your modeling techniques, assumptions, and limitations

·         Results of the analyses. Graphs and figures should be used wherever possible.

·         Further potential refinements to the design. List additional analyses that might be helpful.

·         References and sources you have consulted.

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The Oral Report:

Each group should plan to speak for 10 minutes. Following each talk, there will be a brief question and answer period. Use power-point slides that can be posted on the web site.