Introduction
Applying the research we have undertaken into a comprehensive model at a 1:75 scale can be tricky, especially with the limited time and resources we had available. In this post I hope to clearly show where we have applied our research and knowledge into the model and how, given we had more time, would we improve on presentation.
Topography
The topography was made of black and white card which we supported with cardboard and foam board. This not only provided a sturdy base but also helps ‘dull’ the background to really bring out the bridge itself. The contrast of the white tipex on the black card also really helped for defining lines on the road.
Given we had more time, despite the intention to ‘dull’ the background, we could apply modelling materials such as grass and concrete to really bring out the aesthetics of the surroundings. We would also do a more thorough analysis into topography so that we could really define the levels clearly, such as kerb drops, road gradient and hoarding.
Foundation
The research we undertook into the foundations showed us clearly that we needed to show a pad foundation with 2x supports going into each foundation. For the pad itself Jenny proposed we should use wooden blocks. We all agreed as this would clearly show where these would be located and would also provide a suitable base for our model. We also decided to glue the white card onto the blocks to match in with the background.
Similarly with the topography, using modelling material to represent concrete would also be good here as it would help people understand the kind of material we are using in this case.
Supports
The bolts for the support I felt were a good representation of what we were proposing and even with better materials, it wouldn’t feel as ‘structural’ as the bolts made it out to be.
The difficulty came with drilling holes into the drain pipe that formed the base of the deck. These were hard to drill close together without connecting and so we decided to produce our ‘v’ shape not across the width of the bridge but down the length of it instead.
Drainage and Ramp
We did not produce a ramp in the end as we felt there were too many options for this given the uncertainty of both developments. Therefore showing the drainage as described in the ‘drainage strategy’ blog would be hard without a staircase. I believe using art straws was the best approach here but perhaps with a ramp we could show how this will be hidden and connect into the ramp structure to drain into the local network.
Bridge
The bridge was the hardest part to model. The mesh and the helical structure I felt weren’t represented as well aesthetically however I do believe the materials and size were presented perfectly. As an improvement, given we had more time, we could look into producing a helical structure ourselves using steel rods and wire. I believe with the time frame this was achieved well.
