To reduce the cost of your design, you’ll need to learn a few basic principles of structural engineering. To do this, start up the Bridge Designer, and click the Help menu, then click “How to Design a Bridge.” On the flowchart, click the boxes labeled “Optimize the Member Properties,” “Optimize the Shape of the Truss,” and “Find the Optimum Truss Configuration.” Read these sections carefully. They contain suggested procedures and a number of hints to help you reduce the cost of your design.
