By: Joseph Tible
Adviser: Dr. A. Bechtel
The purpose of this design project is to provide a design for a load frame for use by The College of New Jersey. The College of New Jersey has no methods to test structural members. By being able to view the effects of forces on beams, students will gain visual knowledge of how these forces truly affect the deflection of beams and how much force they can
withstand. The design and construction of a structural load frame will give TCNJ the ability to demonstrate the behavior of structural members under different loads. The load frame was designed with the AISC standards. The frame was designed to meet serviceability, strength, and cost restraints. The design had to fit within a 4 foot by 8 foot area, have as little deflection as possible and cost as little as possible. There were three design models. The first was a square frame with an overhanging hydraulic actuator. The second model was a tall supporting frame that held the actuator. The third model was a load frame with a moment arm. The third model was not feasible, as the moment arm would have needed large support beams, making the model fail the serviceability needs. Of the final two models, model one, the model with the square frame, weighed less than model two. This correlates to a lower cost, making model one the optimum design.