Document Type

Restricted Campus Only

Publication Date

4-2014

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to design a method and device to facilitate the safe and timely changing of lamps mounted on the top of the I-beams in Laurie Auditorium. The I-beams, oriented 90° from standard I-beam orientation, are oriented like H-beams; the lamps are not visible from the ground and the lamp fixtures are not located along the entire length of the 1- beams, but only on a seventy-three foot-long segment of the I-beam, towards the back of the auditorium. The current method of changing the malfunctioning lamps involves hiring an outside contractor to walk along the I-beam to access the lamp fixtures and change malfunctioning lamps. This contractor is secured by a harness attached to the square truss-like beams, which support the I-beams and attach them to the roof, while moving along the I-beam. This contractor uses a Genie® Lift™ for access to the beam, which is 22 feet above the ground at the Genie Lift access point, located at the main walkway of the auditorium, according to Kevin Hawkins. The process of changing the lamps on all 13 I-beams cunently takes about a week; due to the hiring of a third pa1ty worker, this process costs nearly $8,000.

This design is intended to decrease the amount of time required to replace the malfunctioning lamps in the auditorium, as well as increase the safety and ease of the process. The final design solution implements a device that an operator stands on and rolls along one flange of the I-beam and has a hinge system to move around obstacles. The device has two mi1Tored steel frames connected by an aluminum hinge, which allows for one frame of the device to be lifted off of the I-beam flange and rotated away so that the operator can roll closer to an obstacle before putting the frame back onto the I-beam flange. This method allows the operator to move around obstacles that arise along the I-beam. This device, along with the implemented safety systems, allows for a safe method for an operator to access an I-beam in this orientation and have full use of their hands for any task that may be necessary.

Testing was performed on the device before finalizing the design and then on the final device to ensure safety and that the design constraints were met. Tests were done to analyze the strength of the device and of a single frame, both when supported and unsupported by the I-beam flange. Additional tests for how well the device rolls normally and on an incline to ensure safe, controlled movement were performed. Finally, the design team conducted application testing in Laurie Auditorium to see how well the device perfmmed in the desired operating conditions. Tests in Laurie Auditorium were limited due to the design team's access to the auditorium and liability and risk management concerns with having an operator test the device at the heights present in Laurie Auditorium.

The design project came in under budget, at $4,194.58 (of $4,400), and was finished with a functional, tested device on schedule. The final device met all of the design constraints, except for reducing the time it takes for the entire process of changing the malfunctioning lamps in Laurie Auditorium; this is unmet solely because it was not feasible to fully test the device in a satisfactory manner to analyze this constraint due to the liability concerns. The design team offers further recommendations for minor modifications and improvements on the final device, as well as further testing before pursuing commercial production of the design.

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