1999 COMPETITION RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS

The competition is open to all student chapters of American Society of Civil Engineers and Forest Products Society in the United States and Canada. Joint and multiple entries from one school will be accepted.

Each contestant (team) will be required to design, build and test a bridge constructed from wood structural members. The wood used in this project must be from a commercially available species.

Design Span: 3.3 meters from center line to center line of supports. The maximum length of an individual piece in any member shall not exceed 1.4 meters. There is no length limitation on built-up and laminated members provided that the individual pieces, including plywood, used in making the member do not exceed the specified maximum length. Maximum width of supporting base plates is 60 mm.

Horizontal and Vertical Clearances: 1.40 m and 0.90 m, respectively (see sketch).

Test Load: 20 kN for 1 hour. (See test setup for location of loading blocks.)

Load Application and Deflection Measurements: Load to be applied at 5 equal increments of 4 kN each. Deflection readings to be collected at each load increment. Then, four deflection readings to be collected at 15-minute intervals during the 1 hour load duration.

Maximum Vertical Bridge Deflection: Maximum allowed bridge deflection is eight (8) mm as recorded at midspan of the longitudinal beam receiving the greatest loading. Subtraction from deflection due to compression of supports will not be allowed.

Maximum Vertical Deck Deflection: Maximum allowed net deck deflection is two (2) mm as measured under the centroid of the loading point where the deck is experiencing maximum deflection under full loading. Deck deflection shall be adjusted by subtracting the average deflection recorded in the two longitudinal beams immediately to the left and right of the selected loading point. See "Test Setup" sketch for details on placement of the four loading points. Note that the loading points may be moved as a 4-point unit to the left or right transversely as needed to assure that the above monitored load point (for deck deflection) is over the point where maximum deck deflection is expected. NOTE: No transverse floor beam or other deck stiffener is allowed within 200 mm in either direction longitudinally from any of the 4 loading points.

Bridge Deck: The bridge must have a wood deck designed to effectively transfer loads at all locations on its surface to the support structure. It must be capable of supporting an asphaltic wearing surface, i.e. it cannot be an open grid. Laminated plywood sheets, oriented strand board (OSB), and particleboard sheeting will not be allowed for the deck. The deck must be capable of supporting the complete 4-load combination moved anywhere on the deck surface.

Prestressing: Prestressing will be allowed provided it is done 48 hours before testing.

Bridge Weight: Bridge must be weighed before testing and must include all bridge parts forming a part of the bridge as a structural system.

Curb: The curb does not need to resist a force but must be connected to the bridge. The curb may be a part of arch or truss members.

Contestants will be required to submit by Mail:

1. A VHS color video (maximum of 5 minutes) documenting all phases of bridge construction, weighing, loading, and test results at each loading increment and at the 15-minute intervals until the end of the one hour load duration. It is recommended to include within the frame of all video shots a labeling sign stating the significance and sequence of the picture in the testing procedures.
2. Photographs (ideally 4" x 6" color prints, not color copies)

1. one side view from above plan of bridge deck
2. one end view from above plane of bridge deck
3. one end view of loading setup
4. one side view of loading setup
5. one group picture of bridge design team either on the bridge or with bridge in foreground
6. (optional) no more than 4 pictures of the bridge construction process that show details not evident in above completed photos

3. Drawings – Mail a hard copy of bridge drawings entered online. Must be in adequate detail to show spacing and size of longitudinal stringers, floor beams, and deck members and must show their relation to selected loading points, especially the selected deck evaluation load point, from both end and side views.

A technical report must be submitted online (via Internet) using templates provided and will include:

1. Abstracts: Using maximum of 500 words, explain the bridge design concept and explain what was done to optimize stiffness while attempting to minimize weight of the structure. This abstract will weigh heavily on the "Judges" portion of the ranking (20 percent of total score).
2. Table of all recorded test results of deflection measurements.
3. An itemized materials list showing weight of each item and total weight of bridge. The total weight of non-wood material must be less than 25% of the total weight of the bridge. Glue is non-wood.
4. A short summary (max. 500 words) describing the bridge and its behavior under load.
5. Drawings: Must be adequate to inform judges of design dimensions; should include longitudinal and transverse cross-sections. NOTE: Drawings should be sent as e-mail attachments in .gif, .jpg, or other standard file format.

JUDGING:

A panel of three independent judges not affiliated with any contestant institutions will select the winners. Entries that do not meet all rules and performance criteria will be disqualified for consideration for Performance Awards but will be eligible to compete for Special Awards and Best Design. No single entry shall be eligible to receive more than three (3) awards.

AWARDS: