Big Beam Competition 2004
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This year the Big Beam
Competition 2004 required a beam of 15 ft. in length with span of 14ft. The
overall dimensions were restricted to 7” x 14”. After designing the beam,
meeting all the requirements of the rules of the competition and after making
all the required predictions, it is then to be tested as a single, simple span
of 14ft. with a single point load applied at the midspan. For the first time
ever University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) decided to participate in this
competition with its team consisting of some graduate and under graduate
students. We are grateful to Rinker Materials Unit at Kansas City, Kansas for
allowing and helping us to cast our beam at their yard and Butler Research,
Grandview, Missouri for providing us the beam testing facility. |
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| Initial beam setup | Beam ready to be tested..!! |
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| Strain gages mounted on the beam | Crack pattern obtained after testing of the beam |
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| Beam being hauled to the beam testing facility..!! | Data acquisition system using National Instrument’s equipment |
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| A servo-hydraulic cylinder with the load cell used to load the beam..!! | Formwork being set in place for the T-Beam Section |
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| Beam anchored at the ends | Placing the prestressing strands |
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| Cutting Mesh for Shear reinforcement | Bending the mesh!!! Phew!!! |
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| Tying the Mesh with Mild steel | Placing the mesh in the forms! |
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| Strands being readied for Tensioning | Ready for the final go…..Concreting……. |
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| Giving Final Shape…to T beam |
Representatives from UMKC gather for a group portrait |
