Day 1 – Overview

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The week begun with an introduction, site visit and modelling lab induction, which were essential to clearly establishing the project.
Our designated task throughout the day, was then to begin some conceptual design ideas. In order to create a feasible and artistic design, prior research to beginning any sketches was key.
By the end of the day we felt confident with the site layout and thought we had a good starting point to work from. Our idea involved a central roundabout over the road, to act as a centre piece to the two points we wanted to create easier access between (inspired by Luchtsingel, Netherlands).

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Group 6 – thoughts of day 1
The day started with a talk about our test, building a bridge. We looked at different types to inspire us. The reason for this was to get a better understanding of what we need to do for the rest of the week. We then walked down to the other building to see where we are wanting to put the bridge and see the scale that we are morning on. After this we found lots of examples and able to create some ideas to come up with our final design. I liked looking at the different designs of bridges and see how different each one is. This have given in an idea on how to design ours. Our final idea will be connecting the 2 university buildings together over the cross Road.

Expansion Joints

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Expansion joints- Here is some research on expansion joints

What is an expansion joint : An expansion joint or movement joint is an assembly designed to safely absorb the heat induced expansion and contraction of construction materials, to absorb vibration, to hold parts together, or to allow movement due to ground settlement or earthquakes. They are safety components used in bridges.Here is an image of an expansion joint below.

Bridge expansion joints are designed to allow for continuous traffic between structures while accommodating movement, shrinkage, and temperature variations on reinforced and prestressed concrete, composite, and steel structures. They stop the bridge from bending out of place in extreme conditions, and also allow enough vertical movement to permit bearing replacement 220px-bridgeexpansionjointwithout the need to dismantle the bridge expansion joint.

 

Pipe expansion joints are necessary in systems that convey high temperature substances such as steam or exhaust gases, or to absorb movement and vibration. A typical joint is a Bellows of metal (most commonly stainless stell), plastic (such as PTFE), fabric (such as glass fibre) or an elastomer such as rubber. A bellows is made up of a series of convolutions, with the shape of the convolution designed to withstand the internal pressures of the pipe, but flexible enough to accept axial, lateral, and angular deflections. Expansion joints are also designed for other criteria, such as noise absorption, anti-vibration, earthquake movement, and building settlement. Metal expansion joints have to be designed according to rules laid out by EJMA, for fabric expansion joints there are guidelines and a state-of-the-art description by the Quality Association for Fabric Expansion Joints. Pipe expansion joints are also known as “compensators”, as they compensate for the thermal movement.

Expansion joints are often included in industrial piping systems to accommodate movement due to thermal and mechanical changes in the system. When the process requires large changes in temperature, metal components change size. Expansion joints with metal bellows are designed to accommodate certain movements while minimizing the transfer of forces to sensitive components in the system.

Pressure created by pumps or gravity is used to move fluids through the piping system. Fluids under pressure occupy the volume of their container. The unique concept of pressure balanced expansion joints is they are designed to maintain a constant volume by having balancing bellows compensate for volume changes in the bellows (line bellows) which is moved by the pipe. An early name for these devices was pressure-volumetric compensator.

Ways expansion joints are manufactured

Wrapping fabric reinforced rubber sheets

Rubber expansion joints are mainly manufactured by manual wrapping of rubber sheets and fabric reinforced rubber sheets around a bellows-shaped product mandrel. Besides rubber and fabric, reinforced rubber and/or steel wires or metal rings are added for additional reinforcement. After the entire product is built up on the mandrel, it is covered with a winding of (nylon) peel ply to pressurize all layers together. Because of the labor-intensive production process, a large part of the production has moved to eastern Europe and Asian countries.

Molded rubber expansion joints

Some types of rubber expansion joints are made with a molding process. Typical joints that are molded are medium-sized expansion joints with bead rings, which are produced in large quantities. These rubber expansion joints are manufactured on a cylindrical mandrel, which is wrapped with bias cut fabric ply. At the end the bead rings are positioned and the end sections are folded inwards over the bead rings. This part is finally placed in a mold and molded into shape and vulcanized. This is a highly automated solution for large quantities of the same type of joint.

Automated winding of rubber expansion joints

New technology has been developed to wind rubber and reinforcement layers on the (cylindrical or bellows-shaped) mandrel automatically using industrial robots instead of manual wrapping. This is fast and accurate and provides repeatable high quality. Another aspect of using industrial robots for the production of rubber expansion joints is the possibility to apply an individual reinforcement layer instead of using pre-woven fabric. The fabric reinforcement is pre-woven and cut at the preferred bias angle. With individual reinforcement it is possible to add more or less fiber material at different sections of the product by changing the fiber angles over the length of the product.

Expansion joint components

Liners

Internal liners can be used to either protect the metallic bellows from erosion or reduce turbulence across the bellows. They must be used when purge connectors are included in the design. In order to provide enough clearance in the liner design, appropriate lateral and angular movements must be specified by the designer. When designing an expansion joint with combination ends, flow direction must be specified as well.

Covers

External covers should be used to protect the internal bellows from being damaged. They also serve a purpose as insulation of the bellows. Covers can either be designed as removable or permanent accessories.

Particulate barriers/purge connectors

In systems that have a media with significant particulate content (i.e. flash or catalyst), a barrier of ceramic fiber can be utilized to prevent corrosion and restricted bellows flexibility resulting from the accumulation of the particulate. Purge connectors may also be utilized to perform this same function. Internal liners must also be included in the design if the expansion joint includes purge connectors or particulate barriers.

Limit rods

Limit rods may be used in an expansion joint design to limit the axial compression or expansion. They allow the expansion joint to move over a range according to where the nut stops are placed along the rods. Limit rods are used to prevent bellows over-extension while restraining the full pressure thrust of the system

Failure modes

Expansion joint failure can occur for various reasons, but experience shows that failures falls into several distinct categories. This list includes, but is not limited to: shipping and handling damage, improper installation/insufficient protection, during/after installation, improper anchoring, guiding, and supporting of the system, anchor failure in service, corrosion, system over-pressure, excessive bellows deflection, torsion, bellows erosion, and particulate matter in bellows convolutions restricting proper movement.

There are various actions that can be taken to prevent and minimize expansion joint failure. During installation, prevent any damage to the bellows by carefully following the instructions furnished by the manufacturer.After installation, carefully inspect the entire piping system to see if any damage occurred during installation, if the expansion joint is in the proper location, and if the expansion joint flow direction and positioning is correct.Also, periodically inspect the expansion joint throughout the operating life of the system in order to check for external corrosion, loosening of threaded fasteners and deterioration of anchors, guides, and other hardware.

Other expansion joint types- Copper expansion joint

Copper expansion joints are excellent materials designed for the movement of building components due to temperature, loads, and settlement. Copper is easy to form and lasts a long time. Details regarding roof conditions, roof edges, floors, are availabl

Chilli Wilson – Group 3 (Millau) – Day 2

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Yesterday saw the formation of our team and the identification of our outlines as stated in the brief.

Today saw us visually communicate our initial ideas for our bridge design through the use of sketches:

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As stated in the brief, we must create a bridge that links university buildings either side of the Lewes Road, therefore, we deiced initially to design a bridge that resembled the shape of a algebraic “X”. This design consisted of a central pod with two sets of bowed walkways connecting the pod to either side of Lewes Road. The advantage of having two separate pathways on either side of the road meant that local residents and other members of the public could use the bridge not just University of Brighton Students.

However, we decided that to achieve a more effective linking with the university buildings, expansion of this core idea was needed to fulfil this aim:

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By enabling access to not just Preston Barracks, but Watts Building, the Heavy Engineering development and Cockroft building, we had achieved this goal.

But doing this meant that we had to manipulate and extended our original “X” shape, with the inclusion of long, straight pathways and the inclusion of numerous support columns :

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With the bridge design finalised,  dimensions of the bridge could be calculated:

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With the dimensions of our bridge calculated we can start building a scale model of our bridge and compiling our presentation, in Day 3.

 

Design week 2016: Learning through making – Day one

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For a third year in a row, Brighton university has hosted design week. During the course of the week university students work in conjunction with first year a-level students from Hazelwick school, studying 3d design.

This year the task given revolves around pedestrian and cycle bridges. Our client is Brighton university, who ask us to come up with an innovative bridge designs which we will model and present. One of the main points in the brief is that we link conveniently and practically two parts of Moulsecoomb campus on both sides of A27, Lewes Road.

Project brief

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Shorty after being presented our task, we set out in our allocated groups to have a look at the A27, Lewis road; and create ruff sketches and plans.

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View of Moulsecoomb campus

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Alex Judd 05 – Bridge Loads

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Introduction

The important element that needs to be considered in bridge construction is the overall loads that are dissipated by the piles that the spans sit upon. This is important because an uneven or disproportionate load could cause the whole structure to fail. As this is a concept, no detail into structural calculations has been considered however there are some initial methods of predicting how the structure will act under certain loads.

Likely Concerns and Solutions

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The above image shows where the likely problems associated with loads, this includes:

  • Wind
  • Vibrations
  • Overweighting and Live loads

In order to dissipate these problems, the following solutions have been proposed:

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Wind is very prominent in Brighton especially being in the path of the trade winds. In order to stop the structure resisting against this, it has been opted that the design of the bridge lets the wind pass through it. This negates the impact wind and diffuses it through the structure as opposed to around.

Vibrations

Vibrations from traffic will be very prominent so in order to reduce the effect that the vibrations have on the structure. Multiple piles have been selected as opposed to the original upright two piles. This means vibrations are spread and dissipated through the structure as opposed to a fixed location. This will stop soil loosening around the foundations and also stop the build-up of structural vibration.

Overweighting and Live Loads

It is important to consider the live loads on the bridge. By having no sort of lane control on the deck, the pattern of vibrations caused by these loads could be vast and quantifiable. Therefore, by splitting the deck into different pathways, we can focus the live loads on a certain location so there can be suitable reinforcement for this.

In summary, the intention of this preliminary examination into the loads of the structure is to inform us of how we can reduce the loads occurring on the structure before a technical design submittal where the calculations and engineering of the bridge take place.

Alex Judd 04 – Site Levels – RevA

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Reason for Revision A

Upon reflection in our group, we have decided that crossing from Preston Barracks to the Mithras House entrance would be too high up off the ground and would pose more problems in relation to who uses it and how it is accessed.

We have decided to go for bridge option 2 as mentioned in the first revision. This involves positioning the bridge to the most northern part of Mithras House car park and then spanning over to the proposed central square at the Preston Barracks development OR Watts car park dependent on Preston Barracks development outcome.

The levels won’t be affected per se however we will be bridging from the 30m above Ordnance datum as opposed to the original 35m, this reduces wind loads but also mean that the ramps and accessibility aspects which were a concern in the first instance are drastically reduced.

Alex Judd 03 – Cased Based Precedence – Bike Ramps

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Bike Ramps

In a lot of train stations where there are bridges over the railway there is a problem that bikes have when it comes to crossing platforms. Elevators are available for use in many cases but these may be too small to fit in multiple bikes and people. What is often used instead is a ramp fixed to the stairs that allows the cyclist to push their bike up the ramp why they too go up the stairs. This also applies going down the stairs.

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This can certainly benefit the end user as the strain of carrying a bike up the stairs or trying to fit into a tight space is reduced and in some cases negated. It’s a very simple and efficient method to help bikes out significantly. However, consideration into the type of ramp needs to be addressed.

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Concrete formed bike ramps are safe and secure however cannot be moved at a later date. Metallic ramps are more susceptible to damage and in some cases can be harder than the concrete stairs as the wheels can rub against the side. The benefit of using a metallic ramp is that these can be easily removed, replaced and fixed to any type of stair.

Our project could include a metallic ramp but with a much larger width. Perhaps it would be wise to combine both the concrete and metallic ramp so there is a ramp present but with the option of a channel for your bike to sit in incase the user is struggling to push these up.

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The above image also shows how it is fixed to the stairs. This is by fastening the metallic ramp to the highest concrete stair and stair base with concrete anchors.

Reference: http://cycle-works.com/product/wheeling-ramps/

Alex Judd 02 – Cased Based Precedence – SEW V Bridge

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V Bridge

The ‘V Bridge’ is a proposed bridge at Nine Elms, London by architectural firm Studio Egret West. It spans over 150m with two piers sunk into the bed of the river that it passes over. The bridge uses a very simple process of splitting the cycle path and pedestrian path across the breadth of the bridge deck.

V Bridge

A main concern raised in our group was the fact that cycle paths and pedestrian walk ways on a bridge could be hazardous in the instance that they could collide at a point. This proposal handles this very well and I hope to incorporate this into our design. It also has various seating arrangements and foliage on the bridge itself which for the instance of this project may not be required but may be worth considering.

V Bridge

The disadvantage with this bridge design is that it is very different scenario to ours; In the instance that this bridge were to cross an A road, I doubt that it would use this sort of structural system in the intended design.

In brief, the element we wish to source from this cased based precedence is how it deals with the end user. Even if the design does not split, there needs to be a control element put in place.

Reference: http://egretwest.com/projects/v-bridge

Alex Judd 01- Site Levels

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Introduction

Site levels are important for a competent bridge design, in particular when it is crossing a busy highway and needs to be made accessible to all parties. On 07.11.2016 the UoB and Haselwick students went on a site visit to the A270 and Mithras House Building on the Mouslecoomb campus. My intention of this visit was to get a better ‘feel’ for the site, especially for such factors like the line and level. In order to document this I took some photographs of the location.

img_0939Mithras House

Bridge Option 1

We agreed in our group that a crossing spanning the entrance of Mithras House and the proposed Preston Barracks development would be possible. However the change at levels at this location is significant. Therefore, I went out to find these through study of existing topography. Using Digimaps, I downloaded a site plan and overlaid this onto a topography expressed in 5m contours. By overlaying both these levels and the site plan, I could take some levels from the site.

Overlay of Levels

I struggled to establish levels of the lower stairs going up to Mithras House through the desktop study, and in order to establish these levels I used a reasonable assumption from the photographs we took of the site. I then sketched these levels.

Levels Sketch

Bridge Option 2

An alternative to this crossing point would be at a lower level more towards the corner of Preston Barracks as with the planning application made for the Preston Barracks development. This would still use the same levels as expressed above but instead of crossing at high level, these would cross at the lower platform.