Golf carts cross the road generate traffic problem for vehicle and individuals crossing the road. The suggested solution for this problem is to build a truss bridge at AUM campus. The bridge will be constructed while considering quality function deployment and product decision concepts. AUM management is interested to create a low-cost solution which limits the budget of truss bridge construction. Taking into account the requirements of AUM management project team has developed the QDF diagram and bridge model with calculated dimensions and sizes about height, length, and width. Truss bridge is expected to be a sustainable and suitable bridge for the targeted audience.

Problem Statement of Designing Truss Bridge at AUM

In the American University of the Middle East (AUM) students get various sports facilities, which include basketball. Soccer and goal. Many golf carts cross the road which causes inconvenience to both the goal carts and the individuals who are crossing the road. In order to resolve this problem it has been decided to create a bridge that will allow the individuals to cross the road without any issue. The bridge which has been decided to be constructed at the AUM campus will be a truss bridge. The truss bridge is considered among the strongest bridges because of their high load capacity and low weight. The bridge will provide a passage to the golf carts which will move underneath the bridge.

Quality Function Deployment

Figure 1: QDF Matrix

The key customers of the project or the individuals who are going to use the bridge will be the faculty members of the university, the management staff and the student who study at the university. These will be the key customers of the project. The main requirements of the customers are that the truss bridge must look elegant and match with the environment or location. The bridge should be strong and can stand the weight of the people. The management of the AUM wants that the bridge should cost low. Through QFD results it can be seen that our project stands better than the competitors. The above QDF diagram is representing our project's position (American Society of Civil Engineers, 2008).

Design Concept Generation
Product Design

Figure 2: Truss Bridge Model

The material which is selected for the construction of the bridge will be small steel beams. The truss bridge is conducted using the steel beams, which provide support and strength to the truss bridge. In the above diagram is providing a quick view of how the truss bridge at the AUM will actually look like.

Figure 3: Truss bridge model with preliminary calculations

The bridge width will be 6 meters same as the width of the road. The bridge height from the road will be designed after evaluating the Dimensions of golf cart. As the bridge is designed for 8 seater golf cart to move underneath it is important to evaluate the dimensions of the golf cart as well. The following are the key dimensions of the 8 seater goal cart in detail (Wood, 2012).

Figure 4 Truss Bridge Calculations covering height width and length

Cart Dimension	Column1	Rear Basket Dimension	Column2
High:	2000mm	High:	280mm
Length:	4000mm	Length:	1370mm
Width:	1500mm	Width:	490mm(inside is 430mm)

As the height of the golf cart is 2000mm, the bridge will be kept 2500mm above the road so that the golf carts can move easily under the road. The new truss bridge will not provide convenience to the students and other faculty members but also will become a new attraction in the AUM campus (Wood, 2012).

Design for Sustainability of Designing Truss Bridge at AUM

As the truss bridge will be constructed from steel beams, it has many environmental benefits which are explained as follows:

· Steel can be recycled

· The bridge can be constructed with less equipment

· Steel has more durability

Figure 5 Truss Bridge parts

Truss bridge material can be recycled again after the end of useful life for a bridge. Some examples of bridge construction materials are presented in the table which can be used for recycling. These materials are presented with part of the truss bridge.

Materials	Parts
1. Wood planks and Steel sheets	Deck
2. Steel Rods and beams	Floor beams
3. Upper Steel Frame	Sway bracing and Struts

One of the major benefits of steel is that it can be recycled. When the useful life of the bridge is completed the steel can be recycled and can be used for lot of different purposes. The other materials however sometimes cannot be recycled hence they have environmental impact than steel. The second major factor that enhances the sustainability of truss bridge is that the steel beams are not that heavy, which means that the beams can be moved using less equipment. With lesser equipment not only the cost of the project declines but also the pollution levels remain low up to lot of extents (American Society of Civil Engineers, 2008).

Engineering Standards & Catalogs

There are many standards that the team will have to follow while constructing the bridge like truss bridge. The team will follow design standard while developing the design of the bridge. The next thing which needs to be kept in mind is the quality of the material. In civil engineering the quality of material matters a lot because without a good quality material the bridge will not provide any safety or convenience to the stakeholders. Therefore the project team will ensure the safety of the individuals by acquiring high-quality steel. The next thing will be the safety of the workers who will construct the bridge. The safety standards will be implemented to ensure the safety of the workers (American Society of Civil Engineers, 2008).

Conclusion & Recommendations of Designing Truss Bridge at AUM

The bridge which has been decided to be constructed at the AUM campus will be a truss bridge. The truss bridge is considered among the strongest bridges because of their high load capacity and low weight. The bridge will provide a passage to the golf carts which will move underneath the bridge. The material which is selected for the construction of the bridge will be small steel beams. The truss bridge is conducted using the steel beams, which provide support and strength to the truss bridge. One of the major benefits of steel is that it can be recycled. When the useful life of the bridge is completed the steel can be recycled and can be used for lot of different purposes. It is recommended that engineering standards must be kept in mind during the construction of the bridge.

References of Designing Truss Bridge at AUM

American Society of Civil Engineers. (2008). Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century: Preparing the Civil Engineer for the Future. American Society of Civil Engineers.

Wood, D. M. (2012). Civil Engineering: A Very Short Introduction (illustrated ed.). OUP Oxford.