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The Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office
Public Information Services
Current Educational Presentations Prepared by
the Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office
encouraging students to seek careers in
Civil Engineering
Early Bridge Designs
This slide presentation gives a brief history of one of our first bridge
designs, the Truss Bridge. How it developed from a simple Girder Bridge
and the forces that act upon it are discussed along with a short quiz.
The Roman Arch Bridge
The design principal used is demonstrated and how the Key Stone reacts
with the redirected weight upon it. Students see why this type of bridge
has lasted for over 2000 years and that some of them are still in use
today. A working model of the Roman Arch Bridge is provided. Students will
be able to put this model together and actually sit on it, in order to
demonstrate its’ strength!
Career Presentation and Job Descriptions at the Cuyahoga County
Engineer’s Office
A brief job description of civil engineering skills and the education
required for skilled craft employees is provided. These descriptions show
the skills required to build a bridge or construct a road as utilized by
the Cuyahoga County Engineer’s. Included is a motivational talk about the
need for schooling\ skills.
How Do We Measure Heights?
A description of the Theodolite and how it is used in the construction
field. This is a hands on presentation and students will be able to
construct a
very simple Theodolite. They will have the ability to measure the height
of a flagpole or doorway, in order to gain a clear understanding of what a
career in surveying requires.
The Vertical Lift Bridge
How this bridge operates and its importance to the growth and businesses
in Cleveland are highlighted.
The use of math skills in its’ construction and how the counter weight
system functions emphasizes the need for students to take their math
classes seriously.
A working bridge model is provided for students to observe and see the
principals of bridge/counter weight math in action.
How Fast Were You Going?
The use of math skills and how law enforcement officers can determine the
rate of a vehicles speed are brought together to demonstrate to students
what the technology of today requires. Students are given a math formula
that can clearly indicate how fast or slow they were driving based upon
their skid markings. This becomes important knowledge when engineers start
to design roadways and bridges and select what types of construction
materials to build with.
The Suspension Bridge and how it operates
A look at the San Francisco Bay Golden Gate Suspension Bridge. This is a
student interactive bridge project. Students become actual working parts
of this famous bridge and learn what happens when weight is placed upon
it. (Trucks/Cars/etc.) The student bridge parts are called Anchors,
Towers, and Suspenders. Students will experience the forces of compression
and tension that occur; and learn just how this special bridge operates.
The Bascule (Jackknife) Bridge
This type of bridge is another example of how counter weights operate to
lift a bridge. This bridge is a direct descendent of the drawbridges that
were once placed over moats in Medieval England. It was widely built
because it allowed large freighters (shipping boats) to travel up/down
rivers with little or no obstructions in the river. A working model is
used to demonstrate its operation.
How We Move from Floor to Floor
This presentation is included along with the Vertical Lift Bridge
presentation and the Bascule Bridge presentation. The goal of this
presentation is to demonstrate how counter weights work in our everyday
life. A math quiz requires students to figure out how much weight is being
lifted and how the counter weights function. The objective is to show that
very little lifting could be accomplished without the use of counter
weights.
A historical look at how the Detroit/Superior Bridge
(Veterans
Memorial) was built and why
This presentation starts in the year 1914 with a look at the construction
process, wages paid, events of the time, the interurban train system that
once traveled from Cleveland to Toledo, and the reasons for building this
special bridge. The presentation is best suited for adults and those that
remember riding the trolley car subway system on the lower deck of this
double deck bridge. A souvenir poster and a copy of an employees 1930’s
railway pass are handed out.
For additional information and scheduling concerns, contact Craig Strong,
Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office Public Information at (216) 348-3835