Acrylic Truss

Stack MATLAB, method of joints and sections, buckling analysis, uncertainty analysis

• Contributed to a 4-person team's MATLAB analysis: solved member forces from the joint equilibrium matrix and checked each compression member against the class acrylic buckling fit in weak, nominal and strong cases
• Contributed to the geometry: adapted a Warren truss with an off-center load to shorten the critical compression members, for a predicted max load of 33.01 oz (±1.58 oz) at a cost of $112.96 under the course cost model
• Contributed to the build: verified the program against a hand-solved truss with the methods of joints and sections after finding the member meant to fail in compression was in tension, then built the truss with fiber-tape-reinforced joints