Greenfields Primary School

This week the bridge was out in conjunction with North Tyneside Education Business Partnership. The project has arranged for ICE as well as several other businesses and organisations to promote various employment options that are available to the children in the future. All of the year 3/4 and 5/6 classes were well behaved and excellent at gradually tightening the cables so the bridge was level.

This blog will look at the a-frames of the bridge, from which the cables are suspended. Its quite clear where they get their name!

As mentioned in the previous post, there is a colour-coding system to ensure the longest cables are attached to the highest part of the frame.

The frames are bolted to a board at the beginning of assembly so the children can reach to attach the cables. It pivots around this bolt as it is lifted into place and another is used to secure it in the upright position.

The frames take the compressive load due to gravity that is acting on the bridge down to the ground. The children often understand this load path instinctively so it is important to reinforce the physics behind this and explain that they have just completed their first bit of structural engineering!