From Gillian ...
(1) FSU Advising Day
Wednesday is FSU Advising in the SU ballroom from 10-2pm. This is a chance for all of you to speak to an advisor from the FSU Engineering Program, to see what classes you'd need and how many attempts that you're allowed.
(2) Club meeting Friday
We have a meeting this coming Friday at 2pm in SM260. I will e-mail the agenda tomorrow or Thursday. We'll be covering Spirit day, the solar cart, and the upcoming Hopkins Power plant tour. Also, those of you who attended the Latin Festival can sign the form for personal points and SOC points.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Hopkins Power Plant tour / ASME welcome party
From Ben Cowart for ASME student members, but I believe any TCC students interested in mechanical engineering are welcome to attend and get recruited. (Student memberships are cheap.)
Please contact Gillian if you plan to attend. They want an RSVP head count so they can plan for the right amount of food.
Detailed directions are in this article from 2008.
September 30, 2009
Topic: Tour of AB Hopkins Power Plant
Host: Triveni Singh, City of Tallahassee
Agenda
4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Introductions, Announcements, and Recognitions
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Tour
6:30 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Dinner and Q&A
7:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Clean-up
The Tallahassee Sections welcomes back the student members, with a tour of the Hopkins Plant and cookout. Students, please RSVP to your student Club Advisor NLT Monday, September 28th, so that we can get an approximate head count for buying food. Thank you in advance to Triveni Singh and the Hopkins Plant for hosting this “Welcome Back” Students Event.
The Plant is located about 5 miles west of Capital Circle SW on 1125 Geddie Road, between US 90 West (W. Tennessee) and HWY 20, Blountstown Highway.
Safety and Dress Code:
This is an operating power plant, please do not wear shorts or loose fitting shirts. Shoes must be closed toe preferably leather. If you have a hard hat and safety glasses, please bring them, as the plant has a limited number.
Please contact Gillian if you plan to attend. They want an RSVP head count so they can plan for the right amount of food.
Detailed directions are in this article from 2008.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Rocket Team Meeting
UPDATED:
The meeting is Thursday, 9/17, at 3:00 in the SM260 conference room.
Gillian sent out an e-mail requesting a meeting of team members early this week to set the budget and finalize our entry by Friday. Check your mail for details.
The meeting is Thursday, 9/17, at 3:00 in the SM260 conference room.
Gillian sent out an e-mail requesting a meeting of team members early this week to set the budget and finalize our entry by Friday. Check your mail for details.
FSU Advising Day
I just got an e-mail saying that FSU Advising Day will be Wednesday, 23 September.
This is the perfect time to meet with an academic adviser from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and plan the transition between TCC and FSU (including when it might be appropriate to dual enroll while finishing your math at TCC).
Advisers will be available from 10 to 3 in the SU Ballroom. You can make an appointment through the Success Center, but you need to bring a copy of your unofficial transcript because they don't have access to that info.
This is the perfect time to meet with an academic adviser from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and plan the transition between TCC and FSU (including when it might be appropriate to dual enroll while finishing your math at TCC).
Advisers will be available from 10 to 3 in the SU Ballroom. You can make an appointment through the Success Center, but you need to bring a copy of your unofficial transcript because they don't have access to that info.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Hopkins Power Plant - ASME tour and cookout
UPDATE (9/16):
The tour will be on Wed, 9/30.
Details will appear in a new posting.
- - - - - -
E-mail from the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) local section had the following information about the planned tour and cookout at the Hopkins power plant. I expect we will get final details in a week or so.
You should go on this tour even if you have seen the plant during one of the city's regular October open house events. They give a better, more detailed, tour to engineers -- plus you can talk to FAMU-FSU students, some from TCC!
Date and time:
Thursday, 9/24, from 5 - 7:30
Sadly, this conflicts with my night class so I can't be there except maybe at the end. I haven't seen the final result of the "repowering" project, but maybe I can see that if they have the public open house in October.
Other details:
I don't have them, but clearly they plan to tour the Hopkins power plant, which is quite convenient to campus (5 miles west of Capital Circle SW, between HWY 20 and US 90 on Geddie Road). You can see more detailed directions and a Google map by following this link to info about a previous tour, and you can read information about the dress code for the tour by following this link.
In past years they wanted RSVP information by the preceding Monday (meaning by 9/21) so they could get enough food. Stay tuned for more details.
The tour will be on Wed, 9/30.
Details will appear in a new posting.
- - - - - -
E-mail from the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) local section had the following information about the planned tour and cookout at the Hopkins power plant. I expect we will get final details in a week or so.
You should go on this tour even if you have seen the plant during one of the city's regular October open house events. They give a better, more detailed, tour to engineers -- plus you can talk to FAMU-FSU students, some from TCC!
Date and time:
Thursday, 9/24, from 5 - 7:30
Sadly, this conflicts with my night class so I can't be there except maybe at the end. I haven't seen the final result of the "repowering" project, but maybe I can see that if they have the public open house in October.
Other details:
I don't have them, but clearly they plan to tour the Hopkins power plant, which is quite convenient to campus (5 miles west of Capital Circle SW, between HWY 20 and US 90 on Geddie Road). You can see more detailed directions and a Google map by following this link to info about a previous tour, and you can read information about the dress code for the tour by following this link.
In past years they wanted RSVP information by the preceding Monday (meaning by 9/21) so they could get enough food. Stay tuned for more details.
Thursday, September 10, in SM116
There is a club meeting scheduled for Thursday, 9/10.
The meeting will be in classroom SM-116 because the conference room is in use all day by the Science and Math Division Dean.
Primary item of business will be deciding on what competition to enter, because some of those deadlines are very close.
The meeting will be in classroom SM-116 because the conference room is in use all day by the Science and Math Division Dean.
Primary item of business will be deciding on what competition to enter, because some of those deadlines are very close.
Monday, August 31, 2009
First meeting of Fall 2009
Our first meeting of the year will be this Thursday at 2:30 in the Science and Math conference room, SM260. This room is just to the left of the receptionist.
See you there!
See you there!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Internships ...
I got the following e-mail today:
According to an article in Forbes Magazine (July 7, 2009 written by Joyce Lee), large scale internship programs can lead to full-time employment, even in a tough economy. CollegeGrad.com completed a survey of businesses that consistently use interns and assembled a list of 213 businesses hiring more interns in the past 12 months than anyone else in the U.S. Although layoffs are common and our nation has a 9.5% unemployment rate, CollegeGrad.com concluded that internship offers have been reduced by only 8%.
The TCC Internship Program is proud to agree with the CollegeGrad.com survey. Our very first intern in 2007, John Lawless, was offered permanent employment with his Internship Provider, Coaxis International. Since interning and accepting their offer, John has been promoted to management and is now supervising TCC interns.
Many of our local businesses are in need of entry-level staff but simply don’t have the budget to hire them. Their solution is internships. The TCC Internship Program has become a common outlet for organizations to pre-screen candidates and bring in fresh talent.
Faculty referrals are critical to our program’s success and we truly appreciate your support. Please let your students know that we are currently accepting Fall applications and premium internships fill quickly. For more information on the TCC Internship Program or to request an in-class presentation contact Christy Mantzanas at (mantzanc @ tcc.fl.edu).
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
PAID Internship Available Immediately
Catie Goodman, TCC Internship Coordinator, forwarded the following information concerning a PAID internship (paid clerical work) located in Southwood (about 15 miles to the east of the TCC campus) that is available IMMEDIATELY. Details are quoted below.
Any interested students should contact Christy Mantzanas at mantzanc @ tcc.fl.edu OR call 850.201.6172. Catie writes that "The candidate needs to be VERY reliable and intelligent. Math/Engineering majors preferred."
Any interested students should contact Christy Mantzanas at mantzanc @ tcc.fl.edu OR call 850.201.6172. Catie writes that "The candidate needs to be VERY reliable and intelligent. Math/Engineering majors preferred."
We have an opening for a clerical assistant in our Southwood Office. The position is part time (15 hrs a week) and temporary, but may develop into long-term for the right candidate. The position is paid hourly (probably $7.50 per hour) and the rate is based on experience. The main duty will be data entry into our standard Quickbooks program, but some other general office/clerical duties may be required as needed. Previous experience with Quickbooks is not required, but attention to detail and concern for accuracy is vital, as the data is critical to our project operations. Since the data entry is based on a unit map of the project, a candidate with experience in maps, and/or construction plans and documents, may be preferable. Please let the candidate know that the position is located at our onsite office in the Southwood Community (about 15 miles from campus), and not at our main office on Mahan Drive. We would like to interview any eligible candidates as soon as possible, as we are looking to fill the position immediately. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
Jen Saurino, Administrator
All Pro Land Care of Tallahassee, Inc.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Collapse of a Parking Ramp in Atlanta
Here is a breaking news story for you:
A parking ramp near the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta has collapsed.
This would appear to have a design that is at least superficially similar to the one on our campus although I can see some obvious differences. This will bear looking into, because I know our ramp was fabricated just outside Atlanta.
When you take a look at the slideshow, notice that a beam was launched about 20 feet or so out from the side of the building. This is what holds up the floor panels. One of these on a floor below has also been dislodged from its mountings as that floor also pancaked onto the level below under the impact of the first one that fell.
I wonder what the weakest link turned out to be in this case?
A parking ramp near the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta has collapsed.
This would appear to have a design that is at least superficially similar to the one on our campus although I can see some obvious differences. This will bear looking into, because I know our ramp was fabricated just outside Atlanta.
When you take a look at the slideshow, notice that a beam was launched about 20 feet or so out from the side of the building. This is what holds up the floor panels. One of these on a floor below has also been dislodged from its mountings as that floor also pancaked onto the level below under the impact of the first one that fell.
I wonder what the weakest link turned out to be in this case?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Electric Vehicles - Lunch and Learn
Put this on your calendar if you are interested in all-electric vehicles.
Topic: ASME Lunch and Learn: Electric Vehicles
I assume the talk will be about amateur conversion of regular cars to all-electric or plug-in hybrid operation because that is what members of TAEVA (Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association) do.
Speaker: Andre Smith of TAEVA
When: Friday, June 26, 11:45 to about 1:15
Where: Ole Times Country Buffet
This is located on the east side of North Monroe, just north of Lake Ella and south of Tharpe Street, across the street from the Lake Ella Publix.
Details
Lunch starts between 11:45 an 12:10. I recommend getting there by 11:45. Just go in, pay your money at the register (one price for all meals at this place), then find the engineering group in one of the private dining areas. Speaker introduction and talk will be from 12:10 to 1:00 with time to inspect the cars in the parking lot before the group adjourns at 1:15 to go back to work.
I'm hoping the all-electric Miata will be there. (An article in the paper last month showed a "shade tree" conversion that replaced the engine with a bunch of DieHard batteries and an electric motor.)
Topic: ASME Lunch and Learn: Electric Vehicles
I assume the talk will be about amateur conversion of regular cars to all-electric or plug-in hybrid operation because that is what members of TAEVA (Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association) do.
Speaker: Andre Smith of TAEVA
When: Friday, June 26, 11:45 to about 1:15
Where: Ole Times Country Buffet
This is located on the east side of North Monroe, just north of Lake Ella and south of Tharpe Street, across the street from the Lake Ella Publix.
Details
Lunch starts between 11:45 an 12:10. I recommend getting there by 11:45. Just go in, pay your money at the register (one price for all meals at this place), then find the engineering group in one of the private dining areas. Speaker introduction and talk will be from 12:10 to 1:00 with time to inspect the cars in the parking lot before the group adjourns at 1:15 to go back to work.
I'm hoping the all-electric Miata will be there. (An article in the paper last month showed a "shade tree" conversion that replaced the engine with a bunch of DieHard batteries and an electric motor.)
Summer Advising Notes available
I put a pdf copy on the web of the notes from the group advising session I ran early this month. You can find it from several places in my TCC web pages. The best starting point is
http://faculty.tcc.fl.edu/scma/carrj/Engineering/
I cleaned up the PowerPoint notes I had prepared for the meeting so they addressed some common questions students had, and then "printed" it to a pdf file with six slides per page. It can be read OK if printed out, but it is best read by zooming to about 200% while viewing it on a computer.
There is additional information, including info about scheduling classes, in the page identified as "Pre-Engineering advising notes".
Contact me at my TCC address if you have any questions.
http://faculty.tcc.fl.edu/scma/carrj/Engineering/
I cleaned up the PowerPoint notes I had prepared for the meeting so they addressed some common questions students had, and then "printed" it to a pdf file with six slides per page. It can be read OK if printed out, but it is best read by zooming to about 200% while viewing it on a computer.
There is additional information, including info about scheduling classes, in the page identified as "Pre-Engineering advising notes".
Contact me at my TCC address if you have any questions.
Monday, June 8, 2009
UCF stormwater management
I ran across this story about the development of a mixture of ground up used tires, sawdust, and sand that can be used to improve septic tank drain fields.
The story mentions the Wekiva River drainage basin, but it could also be useful in the Wakulla Springs drainage basin - particularly southern Leon and northern Wakulla county - as an alternative to expensive "advanced" septic tanks.
One important detail: The article points out that a normal septic system puts out 40 to 60 mg of N per liter (this is 40 to 60 ppm), and that the proposed system would drop this to 10 mg/L (10 ppm). For comparison, the Advanced Wastewater Treatment system being installed in Tallahassee will reduce the nitrogen load to about 3 ppm (3 mg/L).
The story mentions the Wekiva River drainage basin, but it could also be useful in the Wakulla Springs drainage basin - particularly southern Leon and northern Wakulla county - as an alternative to expensive "advanced" septic tanks.
One important detail: The article points out that a normal septic system puts out 40 to 60 mg of N per liter (this is 40 to 60 ppm), and that the proposed system would drop this to 10 mg/L (10 ppm). For comparison, the Advanced Wastewater Treatment system being installed in Tallahassee will reduce the nitrogen load to about 3 ppm (3 mg/L).
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Floating Wind Turbines
Here is an idea by way of Norway:
This news story reports on the start of a 2-year test of a floating wind turbine. By combining the technology of land-based wind generating systems and the technology of floating oil drilling rigs, they have come up with a way to put a wind turbine in ocean waters (up to 700 m, which is over 2000 feet, deep) where a conventional off-shore turbine could not be built.
This is a way to build a wind turbine far enough off shore that it cannot be seen from a tourist area (a big problem for plans to build wind turbines off of Cape Cod and a potential issue in Florida as well) or interfere with shipping lanes.
This news story reports on the start of a 2-year test of a floating wind turbine. By combining the technology of land-based wind generating systems and the technology of floating oil drilling rigs, they have come up with a way to put a wind turbine in ocean waters (up to 700 m, which is over 2000 feet, deep) where a conventional off-shore turbine could not be built.
This is a way to build a wind turbine far enough off shore that it cannot be seen from a tourist area (a big problem for plans to build wind turbines off of Cape Cod and a potential issue in Florida as well) or interfere with shipping lanes.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Engineering Advising Meeting
I had a very productive meeting with about a dozen students interesting in becoming engineers. Once I clarify a few details in the PowerPoint file I used as an information resource during the meeting, I plan to make a pdf copy of it available on the web and announce it here in this blog.
I'd be happy to answer any questions this summer, and I expect to repeat this session as a program at the TCC "STEM Center" this fall. Watch for announcements on campus.
Please stop by my office (SM 290) or e-mail me (carrj -at- tcc.fl.edu) if you are interested in pre-engineering advising or joining the Engineering Club.
I'd be happy to answer any questions this summer, and I expect to repeat this session as a program at the TCC "STEM Center" this fall. Watch for announcements on campus.
Please stop by my office (SM 290) or e-mail me (carrj -at- tcc.fl.edu) if you are interested in pre-engineering advising or joining the Engineering Club.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Historic Amateur Rocket Launch
Although our team did a nice job, this launch of a 1/10 scale Saturn V really takes the cake. At 1648 pounds and 36 feet tall, it is one serious rocket. I've seen a K motor launch a 7+ foot hybrid rocket to about 3500 feet. That went up with an impressive roar. This one must have been something to see in person.
See also this guy's photographs, such as this one (notice the person in the foreground for scale!), and some of the "related" videos. For example, this video follows the flight from launch to deployment.
By the way, notice the scaling laws at work here. It is 1/10 as tall as a 363 foot tall Saturn V, but a tiny fraction of the 6,699,000 pound original. This is not just due to the difference between length and volume scaling. Scaling up the mass by a factor of 103, which keeps the density constant, only gives 1,648,000 pounds. The missing factor of four or so is due to the fuel (and extra thrust) needed to put a 260,000 pound payload (a lot even if scaled down to 260 pounds) into low earth orbit rather than "just" send the rocket up to 4440 feet.
The thrust of the model rocket was 7700 pounds force, almost exactly 1/1000 of the 7,648,000 lb-force thrust of the Saturn V's first stage. The much greater thrust-to-mass ratio of the model makes it take off "like a rocket" rather than lumber off of the pad as the real one did, but the latter could burn for 150 seconds. If you never saw the Apollo rocket go up, here is one video of the usual TV launch view we saw (where you get a sense of the fact it took more than 10 seconds to clear the tower), and another (higher resolution) view looking down at the first stage engine section from the point where the final fueling connection is broken, about a dozen seconds before ignition. (A similar sequence is used on the Shuttle, which also has a connection to the main fuel tank that remains until it is time to pressurize the tank.)
See also this guy's photographs, such as this one (notice the person in the foreground for scale!), and some of the "related" videos. For example, this video follows the flight from launch to deployment.
By the way, notice the scaling laws at work here. It is 1/10 as tall as a 363 foot tall Saturn V, but a tiny fraction of the 6,699,000 pound original. This is not just due to the difference between length and volume scaling. Scaling up the mass by a factor of 103, which keeps the density constant, only gives 1,648,000 pounds. The missing factor of four or so is due to the fuel (and extra thrust) needed to put a 260,000 pound payload (a lot even if scaled down to 260 pounds) into low earth orbit rather than "just" send the rocket up to 4440 feet.
The thrust of the model rocket was 7700 pounds force, almost exactly 1/1000 of the 7,648,000 lb-force thrust of the Saturn V's first stage. The much greater thrust-to-mass ratio of the model makes it take off "like a rocket" rather than lumber off of the pad as the real one did, but the latter could burn for 150 seconds. If you never saw the Apollo rocket go up, here is one video of the usual TV launch view we saw (where you get a sense of the fact it took more than 10 seconds to clear the tower), and another (higher resolution) view looking down at the first stage engine section from the point where the final fueling connection is broken, about a dozen seconds before ignition. (A similar sequence is used on the Shuttle, which also has a connection to the main fuel tank that remains until it is time to pressurize the tank.)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Rocket Project Success
Many of you know this already, but the rocket project has been carried out EXTREMELY WELL by our team. Their official competition launch was successful and came within 86 feet of the target altitude of 2000 feet. One test launch (over at the launch site in Madison County run by the NFCC Sentinel Rocket Club) had reached 2900 feet, so the rocket was capable of much more than the competition demanded.
This was the only non-hybrid rocket, so it was guaranteed to win its class. However, I was particularly pleased to read the following in the e-mail from the director of the competition:
I believe that means our team would have won an "open" competition against the teams launching hybrid rockets! As I said above: you did an EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE job.
By the way, team members, don't think that detail about "most consistent with your reports" is a minor compliment. Teams have won major national competitions (like the concrete canoe race in civil engineering or some of the robot competitions in mechanical or electrical engineering) because their documentation and project presentation took top marks over a team that was slightly better in what they thought was the main competition. Being tops in both metrics (consistent reporting and hitting the target altitude) is a real triumph.
This was the only non-hybrid rocket, so it was guaranteed to win its class. However, I was particularly pleased to read the following in the e-mail from the director of the competition:
... we had 6 teams competing in the hybrid competition and your team was the most consistent with your reports and you were closer to 2000 ft.
I believe that means our team would have won an "open" competition against the teams launching hybrid rockets! As I said above: you did an EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE job.
By the way, team members, don't think that detail about "most consistent with your reports" is a minor compliment. Teams have won major national competitions (like the concrete canoe race in civil engineering or some of the robot competitions in mechanical or electrical engineering) because their documentation and project presentation took top marks over a team that was slightly better in what they thought was the main competition. Being tops in both metrics (consistent reporting and hitting the target altitude) is a real triumph.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Laser pointer danger
I told one of my classes this semester about the availability of Class IIIb laser pointers (at a non-trivial cost) and their legal use for pointing out stars - and the serious risk of a felony conviction if they are misused.
Today I saw an article from the BBC about a police helicopter equipped specifically to detect, locate, and arrest persons who point such devices at aircraft that includes video of a demonstration. You can see the dangerous effect of the laser in an aircraft cockpit as well as the use of FLIR (infrared vision) to track the perpetrator. Side links to earlier articles indicate that misuse of these lasers has been a growing problem in the UK over the past year or so.
Today I saw an article from the BBC about a police helicopter equipped specifically to detect, locate, and arrest persons who point such devices at aircraft that includes video of a demonstration. You can see the dangerous effect of the laser in an aircraft cockpit as well as the use of FLIR (infrared vision) to track the perpetrator. Side links to earlier articles indicate that misuse of these lasers has been a growing problem in the UK over the past year or so.
Update: Electric Cars
One of my students told me the electric car show yesterday was excellent. Among other things, he got to see a Tesla Roadster!
The Tallahassee Democrat has a photo gallery from the event. (Yep, there he is in two of the photos.) I've seen the plug-in converted Prius (pictures 5 and 6) around town, but only heard about the Dodge Caravan last Friday. Now that is a serious bit of home-brew car conversion!
The Tallahassee Democrat has a photo gallery from the event. (Yep, there he is in two of the photos.) I've seen the plug-in converted Prius (pictures 5 and 6) around town, but only heard about the Dodge Caravan last Friday. Now that is a serious bit of home-brew car conversion!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Electric Vehicle Event (April 7)
Attention Solar Cart workers!
The Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association (taeva.org) and Electric Auto Association (EAA) are having a special event in conjunction with a TAEVA chapter meeting on Tuesday, April 7, at 3 PM.
There will be hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric vehicles (including locally built conversions) on display, but the real attraction is the Spirit of FC plug-in hybrid that is on a tour of all US state capitals. That link takes you to the blog describing the tour. Today (April 3) they are on their way to Birmingham, Alabama, then on to the capital in Montgomery before heading to Tallahassee.
The meeting location, at the Tallahassee city "Fleet Management" center (400 Dupree St), is convenient to TCC so it would be easy to go over there after class on Tuesday afternoon. TAEVA has a map showing the meeting location on its website. Dupree is halfway between Appleyard and Mabry, south of Pensacola.
The Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association (taeva.org) and Electric Auto Association (EAA) are having a special event in conjunction with a TAEVA chapter meeting on Tuesday, April 7, at 3 PM.
There will be hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric vehicles (including locally built conversions) on display, but the real attraction is the Spirit of FC plug-in hybrid that is on a tour of all US state capitals. That link takes you to the blog describing the tour. Today (April 3) they are on their way to Birmingham, Alabama, then on to the capital in Montgomery before heading to Tallahassee.
The meeting location, at the Tallahassee city "Fleet Management" center (400 Dupree St), is convenient to TCC so it would be easy to go over there after class on Tuesday afternoon. TAEVA has a map showing the meeting location on its website. Dupree is halfway between Appleyard and Mabry, south of Pensacola.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Engineering-related News Stories
Two stories that recently came to my attention:
This is a really amazing design for a high-speed land yacht. There are lots of details, pictures, etc at their web site and blog.
This is a really good article, complete with pictures (some of which have links to higher-resolution versions), about the deterioration and partial failure of an important multi-lane bridge in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Additional background information and pictures are in an earlier article about the bridge.) You might find the engineer's drawing of the problem area, designing the layout for lane closures, interesting. It shows that "beam 8" is at the centerline of the bridge, so a problem with it would require reducing this to a one-lane bridge.
The engineering part of the problem is that concrete is very strong in compression but very weak in tension. A concrete beam will break like a piece of chalk when a load is placed at its center. Steel cables (which are strong under tension but weak under compression) are placed along the bottom of the concrete beam to keep it from breaking. In this case, the effect of salt (used to deice the bridge in winter) and water has been to rust the steel cable and weaken one beam so much that it cannot even hold up its own weight without sagging.
By the way, despite the appearance of the area around the bridge, this is not in some rural area. State St is the main N-S street through Ann Arbor, sort of bisecting the University of Michigan main campus (academics to NE, athletics to the SE), and Stadium (surprise surprise) goes by the football stadium (whose main entrance is at Stadium and Main) and the basketball arean. On game day, this bridge would normally be four lanes one way to or from the stadium and a major freeway interchange! (FYI, here is a link to the Google satellite map centered on this bridge.) Because of the railroad tracks that run parallel to State St, this bridge and route provides one of only two convenient paths between parking in the residential area to the right and the stadium. (Normal game-day parking in AA includes people's front lawns.)
By the way, the current set of satellite images shows the recent reconstruction work on the UM stadium. That area of the east stands where the concrete has been torn out goes back to the 1930s, I believe.
This is a really amazing design for a high-speed land yacht. There are lots of details, pictures, etc at their web site and blog.
This is a really good article, complete with pictures (some of which have links to higher-resolution versions), about the deterioration and partial failure of an important multi-lane bridge in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Additional background information and pictures are in an earlier article about the bridge.) You might find the engineer's drawing of the problem area, designing the layout for lane closures, interesting. It shows that "beam 8" is at the centerline of the bridge, so a problem with it would require reducing this to a one-lane bridge.
The engineering part of the problem is that concrete is very strong in compression but very weak in tension. A concrete beam will break like a piece of chalk when a load is placed at its center. Steel cables (which are strong under tension but weak under compression) are placed along the bottom of the concrete beam to keep it from breaking. In this case, the effect of salt (used to deice the bridge in winter) and water has been to rust the steel cable and weaken one beam so much that it cannot even hold up its own weight without sagging.
By the way, despite the appearance of the area around the bridge, this is not in some rural area. State St is the main N-S street through Ann Arbor, sort of bisecting the University of Michigan main campus (academics to NE, athletics to the SE), and Stadium (surprise surprise) goes by the football stadium (whose main entrance is at Stadium and Main) and the basketball arean. On game day, this bridge would normally be four lanes one way to or from the stadium and a major freeway interchange! (FYI, here is a link to the Google satellite map centered on this bridge.) Because of the railroad tracks that run parallel to State St, this bridge and route provides one of only two convenient paths between parking in the residential area to the right and the stadium. (Normal game-day parking in AA includes people's front lawns.)
By the way, the current set of satellite images shows the recent reconstruction work on the UM stadium. That area of the east stands where the concrete has been torn out goes back to the 1930s, I believe.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Mag Lab and CAPS Open House Saturday!
The annual Mag Lab Open House will be this Saturday, February 21, from 10 AM to 3 PM.
Two of the things you can see were highlighted in this blog last February: You will actually see a pulsed magnet that gets to about 60 T for a few milliseconds -- before it becomes tiny pieces of copper -- and the switch and capacitor needed to make it work.
CAPS, the Center for Advanced Power Systems, will be having an open house (with lots of hands-on activities) in conjunction with the Mag Lab activities. CAPS is across the street from the Mag Lab, adjacent to the large parking lot where most people will have to park.
Updated: My plan is to get there early (about 10 AM) and tour the Magnet Lab with whatever group of PHY2049 (and other) students shows up at that early hour. We can go over to CAPS after that. Meet me in the main lobby of the magnet lab.
Directions:
CAPS is in one of the two buildings marked with the "A" on this map.
View Larger Map
The Mag Lab is the building complex to the left. There is a new building (Materials Research) filling the empty field to the south of CAPS.
Two of the things you can see were highlighted in this blog last February: You will actually see a pulsed magnet that gets to about 60 T for a few milliseconds -- before it becomes tiny pieces of copper -- and the switch and capacitor needed to make it work.
CAPS, the Center for Advanced Power Systems, will be having an open house (with lots of hands-on activities) in conjunction with the Mag Lab activities. CAPS is across the street from the Mag Lab, adjacent to the large parking lot where most people will have to park.
Updated: My plan is to get there early (about 10 AM) and tour the Magnet Lab with whatever group of PHY2049 (and other) students shows up at that early hour. We can go over to CAPS after that. Meet me in the main lobby of the magnet lab.
Directions:
CAPS is in one of the two buildings marked with the "A" on this map.
View Larger Map
The Mag Lab is the building complex to the left. There is a new building (Materials Research) filling the empty field to the south of CAPS.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO - - - AFTER YOU GRADUATE FROM E-SCHOOL
Click on the image to enlarge it.
Opportunities like this happen when you become a member of a professional organization. And there are student clubs in most engineering disciplines at the university level.
Friday, January 30, 2009
New Dam caused Earthquake?
My dad sent me a link to a story that falls in the range of "things a civil engineer might not normally worry about" - an analysis that suggests the major earthquake in China last year was triggered by the additional weight of water behind a new dam.
The story is in an on-line USA-Today blog called "ScienceFair". It refers to a new article the in the journal "Science", which is in the FSU Dirac Science Library if it is not in our TCC library. A quick search indicates it is in the 16 January 2009 issue, on page 322. The article is only available to subscribers or at a library.
The story is in an on-line USA-Today blog called "ScienceFair". It refers to a new article the in the journal "Science", which is in the FSU Dirac Science Library if it is not in our TCC library. A quick search indicates it is in the 16 January 2009 issue, on page 322. The article is only available to subscribers or at a library.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
TV Programming Note
This morning's newspaper reports that the National Geographic Channel will carry a one-hour program about the I-35 bridge replacement in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that was led by Tallahassee's world famous Figg Engineering Group. It will follow this "design build" project from concept to completion, offering invaluable insight to any future civil engineers in the club.
The business side is interesting as well. By completing the project three months ahead of schedule, the engineers and contractors shared in a substantial (up to $27 million) bonus - although much of that bonus paid for overtime needed to finish early.
The program originally airs at 8 PM today, Thursday 1/15. National Geographic Channel is on Tallahassee Comcast digital 109 and HD 413.
It will be rerun at 11 PM the same day and is also scheduled for 1/22 at 4 PM.
Some of you might find this article about engineering the bridge, from Popular Mechanics, interesting.
The business side is interesting as well. By completing the project three months ahead of schedule, the engineers and contractors shared in a substantial (up to $27 million) bonus - although much of that bonus paid for overtime needed to finish early.
The program originally airs at 8 PM today, Thursday 1/15. National Geographic Channel is on Tallahassee Comcast digital 109 and HD 413.
It will be rerun at 11 PM the same day and is also scheduled for 1/22 at 4 PM.
Some of you might find this article about engineering the bridge, from Popular Mechanics, interesting.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Software Engineering: 25 worst coding errors
The National Security Agency (NSA), has released its "top 25" list of coding errors that will produce software vulnerable to attack. (See this article from the BBC for an overview.) Anyone serious about developing computer software should take a look at this story and the related links.
If crypto history interests you, the very first set of NSA documents ever put on the World Wide Web concerned the VENONA project, a hand (not computer) break into Soviet ciphers used after 1943. It was responsible for identifying the Rosenbergs and others responsible for sending US atomic secrets to the Soviets, although this fact was not known until many decades after the Rosenbergs were tried and executed for espionage.
If computer-based crypto history interests you, the NSA has a page indexing various articles that include ones about work during WW II breaking German codes with computers. More recent work is not so public. Yet.
If crypto history interests you, the very first set of NSA documents ever put on the World Wide Web concerned the VENONA project, a hand (not computer) break into Soviet ciphers used after 1943. It was responsible for identifying the Rosenbergs and others responsible for sending US atomic secrets to the Soviets, although this fact was not known until many decades after the Rosenbergs were tried and executed for espionage.
If computer-based crypto history interests you, the NSA has a page indexing various articles that include ones about work during WW II breaking German codes with computers. More recent work is not so public. Yet.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Engineering Club meeting on Friday
The first club meeting of 2009 will be Friday afternoon, January 16, probably at 2:30 or 3:00. We have some important club business to take care of, plus planning for this year's meetings. One thing I would like to do is invite some faculty and students from FSU to talk about your options when you transfer and what you have to prepare for when you leave TCC.
UPDATE: The meeting will be in classroom SM 124. SM260 is in use.
The other thing we have to do is thank Doug Jones for all he has done for the club. His official retirement party is that same night. If you want to know what he might do after he retires, check out this video that my dad got from his brother:
What an engineer does after he retires.
It is awesome.
UPDATE: The meeting will be in classroom SM 124. SM260 is in use.
The other thing we have to do is thank Doug Jones for all he has done for the club. His official retirement party is that same night. If you want to know what he might do after he retires, check out this video that my dad got from his brother:
What an engineer does after he retires.
It is awesome.
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