I just want someone tell me the meaning of the following terms(in detail please):

1.spaghetti bridges
2.truss bridges

Thanks in advance!

Jim

http://www.ce.ufl.edu/activities/trusslab/trussndx.html

As for the "Spaghetti Bridge", I need to ask the following for clarification - Do you mean building a bridge out of spaghetti for a class to test load carrying ability? Or, are you talking about a multi-tier interchange where all the crossing roadways/bridges looks like spaghetti in a bowl?

For the first, you can use the link above and determine the best method for building it, likely a truss structure of some kind.

For the second, there really aren't "spaghetti" bridges, but highway system interchanges that look like it, with bridge structures made from steel plate or box girders or concrete cast-place or segmental girders.. I can think of many that I have driven through in the United States but couldn't find much in the way of webpages except for the following:

http://www.angelfire.com/on3/DonovanMartin/interchanges/fwypics.html

"Interchange Photos" in Yahoo didn't yield much, but you can try others.

Hope this was useful.

Jim Peterson, P.E.
HNTB Wisconsin
Structural Engineer

This bridge is a small replication of a real bridge

Supplies Needed
A board
spaghetti
elmers glue
graph paper
pencil
wax paper

How to make one...
make a design on the graph paper. (The more Triangles the stronger the bridge will be)Use design you made to put the spaghetti down on the wax. (use the glue to hold the spaghetti; go light on the glue) the graph paper is like a blue print. Make many designs from the graph paper with the spaghetti.
join all the walls of spaghetti together. let the bridge dry. to make more srurdy put in the oven.