Process Observations - Hudson

While working with the West Point Bridge Design software, there are a few things I have noticed.
1) The bridge design will only show one truck going across one way. This is a fairly unrealistic scenario for a two lane bridge. Chances are, at some point there are going to be multiple cars going multiple directions at different places on the bridge and it seems like this is one area where the WPBD software isn't exactly the best.
The software also doesn't take into account weather forces. Constant wind, rain, ice, sun, or a mixture of these forces can be the downfall of a bridge. Frequent freezing and thawing can create micro-cracks in the structure and wind could cause the structure to bend in unusual ways.
2) The bridge cost does not take a lot of other factors into consideration. While joints and bars are important, what is more important is the cost of labor, foundation, decking, paving, nuts and bolts... there are a lot more considerations when building a bridge than just the joints and bars.
The bridge cost also seems to be outdated. While theoretically I can build a bridge for $250,000, that's probably not the case if I was to actually set about building the bridge I designed.
3) The bridge can't be modeled over time. Bars and beams are going to get weaker over time and if the bridge is painted frequently that's added weight and stress on the bridge that isn't being taken into consideration. If the bridge just barely passes to begin with, over time the structure might become weak enough that it collapses.

With this in mind, I still think the WPBD software is excellent for beginning bridge designs and our uses. It's not overly complicated, but it still has several different options for most choices. It helps people get a basic understanding of what works and what doesn't work and a ballpark range of what the bridge might cost.