Senior Project Speech
- 1. Doughty 1 Kyle Doughty Mrs. Corbett AP Literature 4th Period 8 April 2012 Engineering projects are the manifestation of man’s free will. When a person decides to create something, to affect change on his environment, to temporarily play God through the use of mathematics and science, he becomes free. For that reason alone, I chose an engineering project as my Senior Project; more specifically, I decided to build a bridge. I also researched Bechtel Corporation, the largest engineering firm in the world, for the associated research paper and to facilitate a greater understanding of what engineers can do in this world. Speaking of facilitation, my Project Facilitator was the architecture teacher at Creekview, Ms. Salas. She taught me how to approach design problems in the past, so designing the bridge proved to be a relatively simple task. In addition to designing at home, I used Ms. Salas’s classroom in the afternoon to design my bridge. For the most part, the project was completely within my pre-existing skill set, but she always had time available in the event that I needed to consult her on an issue with the engineering. Bechtel Corporation also consults and solves engineering issues. The company began as a contractor for highway and railroad building in California. Over the course of a century, it helped build the Hoover Dam, constructed half of all nuclear power plants in America, built the English Channel-Tunnel system, and single-handedly constructed an industrial complex that generates seven percent of Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product. This company represents the very definition of tenacious engineering that I chose to pursue with my project.
- 2. Doughty 2 In comparison, my project seems fairly straightforward. The goal was to build a footbridge across a creek so that I could connect several trails on my property. This task proved to be more laborious than I had anticipated, but I prevailed. I began by drawing rough sketches of what I wanted the bridge to look like, and then I made a formal, architectural drawing. This drawing required accurate measurements, so I hiked into the woods on my land and measured the span of the two banks and their heights. These measurements would serve as the basis for all of the dimensions of the bridge. After drawing all of the pieces of wood and metal that I would need, I calculated the estimated costs of my project. The next logical step from cost calculation is purchase, and that holds true for my project. My father and I purchased lumber from JP Hayne’s and all other supplies from Lowe’s after carefully comparing online prices of their goods. Transport proved to be fairly simple, since my father owns a trailer large enough to handle the kind of lumber I required. Once back at my home, I cut all of the boards to the correct sizes required. The two-by-fours cooperated, while the four-by-fours needed special care due to the cuts made. Only one six-by-six needed to be cut, so it was the easiest of all up to that point. Later on, the six-by-sixes in general proved to be the most difficult, because each one was sixteen feet long and hard to maneuver. Still, my father and I somehow managed to transport them, hike them into the forest to the construction site and then position them correctly. The first two six-by-sixes needed level footers to rest in. To acquire these footers, my father and I had to dig. Each of us took a shovel and dug two holes on our respective banks. These holes, once dug, contained cinder blocks for the six-by-six beams to rest on so as to avoid moisture and contact with the ground. Each block had to be perfectly level and had to be on the same working plane as every other block. After that tedious task, the two main beams were laid,
- 3. Doughty 3 and a bridge began to appear. Decking followed closely after the difficult task of accurately positioning two sixteen-foot-long beams. In comparison, the decking proved to be both easier and more tedious. Each board needed to be perpendicular to the beams, required two screws on each side and had to have consistent expansion joints to avoid structural damage. Once done, about half of the work was completed. The second half consisted of railing and support columns. The support columns required their own footer, so my father and I dug a hole three feet deep in the creek bed. Needless to say, we encountered rocks and mud in copious amounts. After finally digging deep enough, the columns were set into position perpendicular to the beams. The concrete I bought was not marine concrete, but my father and I used an abundant and nearby substitute. The creek contains many large gravel rocks just below the silt, so we dug up the rocks and packed them around the columns. The columns rest on solid bedrock, so they are now encapsulated in a stable and all- natural foundation that has proven its worth. With the major supports taken care of, the railing came next. Five supports, made out of four-by-fours, served as the vertical components of the railing. These supports fit snuggly into grooves cut into the decking so that they touch the six-by- six beams. My father and I exploited this feature by using seven-inch lag bolts to secure the supports. Then, it was a simple matter of positioning and securing two ten-foot-long two-by- fours and two two-by-sixes as handrails. The concrete came last, since it required a long, warm day to set in. Looking back, the project seemed to have no major mishaps, but there were still plenty of minor problems. Chief among them was margin of error. Every cut made takes a tiny fraction of the board with it, and that fraction can be compounded after several cuts. In addition, the stated measurements of the boards are before they have been treated and dried. This leads to scenarios
- 4. Doughty 4 where six-by-sixes are really five and three quarter inches to a side. Plans had to be altered on site, but that represents the lesson of buying a little extra feet of board for surplus and reserves. The weather also did not participate half the time. When a project involves a creek, it is best if the creek does not get muddy. This does not happen in February. Only through sheer perseverance did I position support columns and tighten lag bolts instead of constantly getting myself bogged down in the mud. Several changes came up as the project took shape in the mud. The most obvious are structural. Several diagonal supports were put in place to strengthen the vertical columns. Two cross beams were also added near these supports, and now my bridge seems indestructible. The lack of marine concrete played a role in how the foundation was created, but the bridge is still stable. The largest change, which seems more of a momentary lapse of reason on my part, is the use of expansion joints. During my planning stage, I never thought about the small gaps between boards to allow for expansion in the event of moisture or temperature change. That being said, they made it into the final product, and I learned a valuable lesson in planning. Many other lessons came from this project. Time management and budgeting resources come to the forefront of my recollections, because I had never undertaken a project of this magnitude before. It required discipline and a sheer force of will, but I was more than capable of obliging its demands. I also learned that I still love the outdoors no matter the season, which is why I have a trail system that needed this bridge in the first place. Manual labor also felt good, because usually I am stuck behind a desk all day and doing homework all night. Those reasons rank among the positives, but for there to be positives, there must also be negatives. My only real negative was my attitude toward civil engineering. I enjoyed building the bridge, but I could not
- 5. Doughty 5 see myself enjoying the process as much if I were doing it for someone else. Luckily for me, there are many branches of engineering and I have already found another one. The Georgia Institute of Technology accepted me to their School of Materials Science and Engineering, which will allow me to pursue a career that falls more in line with my interests. Materials science focuses on the chemical and physical properties of materials, which means that I may still design and test materials for construction companies. It also means that I will have so many more options, because everyone needs materials. The possibilities range from new textiles to semiconductors, and I can play a meaningful role no matter which path I choose. Personally, I plan to pursue nanotechnology as much as possible. The field is relatively new, jobs are increasing at an exponential rate and the possibilities seem endless. I will still need to know basic math and science that civil engineers know, but I will also delve deeper into the very nature of creation. Nothing excites me more than to be pursuing a career that will allow me to exercise my free will to its maximum potential, but I have to always remember that my bridge took me down the correct path. Judges, thank you for your time. Are there any questions?