SAMPE Composite I-Beam Bridge
Constructing an I-beam bridge from carbon fiber epoxy woven prepreg composites, using FEA simulation software to optimize ply sequence for reaching desired load requirements.
Description
The purpose of this lab was to create a SAMPE Bridge using an elevated temperature processing method. Two bridges were to be created and tested, with the design choices and physical testing results of the first bridge informing the design of the second bridge iteration. The bridge created within the scope of this project was an I-beam bridge that fits into the SAMPE category A type bridge. The carbon/aramid fiber material subsection was chosen primarily because carbon fiber is one of the most available and well studies advanced composite reinforcement materials. Further, with carbon fiber being one of the stiffest reinforcement materials, the bulk of the design work would be centered around the geometry of the bridge and the ply orientations. The design load for this bridge/material category was 7,200 lbs. Altair Hyperworks was used to perform FEA analysis on different bridge designs, helping inform ply shapes and orientations, while allowing us to design the bridge in spec with the design load.
