How to Design a Bridge

When you use the West Point Bridge Designer 2010, you will experience the engineering design process in simplified form. You will design a steel truss bridge in much the same manner that practicing civil engineers design real highway bridges.

Your objective is to create an optimal bridge design. An optimal design is one that satisfies all of the design specifications, passes a simulated , and costs as little as possible.

The diagram below shows an effective methodology for developing an optimal design. To learn more about this methodology:

  1. Click any block on the diagram for a detailed description of that particular step, or...
  2. Click here to browse through the design process, one step at a time.

How to Design a Bridge

Select a Site Configuration Decide on a Truss Configuration Draw Joints Draw Members Load Test your Design Are all Members Safe? Strengthen All Unsafe Members Are Member Properties Optimum? Optimize the Member Properties Is the Shape of the Truss Optimum? Optimize the Shape of the Truss Is the Truss Configuration Optimum? Find the Optimum Truss Configuration Is the Substructure Optimum? Find the Optimum Site Configuration? Choose the Optimum Design Record your Design