Budget
Balsa wood was ordered as 3/8” x 3/8" x 36” long strips, which are available at a variety of online retailers. These strips were used to construct the entirety of the bridge and articulation tower. The truss members were held together by wood glue, also widely available at various retailers. No parts were outsourced on this project; all parts were manufactured at CWU. To manufacture the bridge, it is estimated that a total of 20 hours will be needed to assemble the bridge along with its articulation components. Assuming a labor cost of $18/hour, the labor cost would total $360. However, parts were manufactured by the presenter, who donated time, and thus the total labor cost was $0. The estimated total project cost is not expected to exceed $75.00, after tax and shipping fees. This project was funded out of pocket by the presenter.
Table 6.1: Budget
Schedule
The following schedule document important goals and milestones of the Articulating Balsa Wood Bridge Project. Fall Quarter (September to December) largely focused on the designing portion of the project based on the requirements provided by the Professors. This also included creating the overall design of the bridge, as well as analysis and calculations of the various components of the bridge. CAD drawings of the parts were also created. The project report was also started.
Winter Quarter (January to March) focused on the construction of the bridge. The purchased balsa wood was manufactured based on the drawings; the stock balsa wood was cut to length and the bridge and articulation tower were assembled using wood glue.
Spring Quarter (March to June) will be focused on testing the bridge to determine if the project meets the project requirements that were define in Fall. Load tests, testing the speed and height of the articulation, and testing the weight of the bridge.
All of these tasks are outlined in better detail in the Gantt chart attached below.
Chart 6.2: Gantt Chart (Fall, Winter, Spring)
