Grade 6 Gifted & Talented

Balsa Wood Bridge Challenge

The Challenge: Design and build a Balsa wood bridge that holds as much weight as possible.

The Reward: The bridge that holds the most weight will be considered the 2016-2017 JMUES Bridge Engineer Champion. There will be one champion per grade level. Champions will be invited to a lunch celebration with Mrs. Fowler and up to three friends from their PLT that includes pizza and a dessert of their choice.

Materials:  

• 10 pieces of 1/8” x 1/8” Balsa wood. Each piece measures 24” in length.
• Cutting tools
• Elmer’s Glue
• Pins and clamps

Bridge Specifications:

• Span: exactly 30 cm
• Length: between 35 to 40 cm
• Width: exactly 8 cm
• Minimum height: 3 cm
• Maximum Mass: 18 Grams

The Fine Print: Lamination is not allowed. The superstructure must be above the roadway. Substructures are allowed and can extend no more than 8 centimeters below the roadbed. The substructure must be a minimum of 3 centimeters shorter than the span of the bridge. There must be a platform or flat space of some kind large enough for the testing device to rest stably on the bridge.

Presentations: Engineers are required to document their progress using a combination of note-taking and photographs. Each engineer will be responsible for creating a Photostory after the bridges have been tested. Each presentation must include the following:

• Explain your style: which truss/bridge type did you choose? What appealed to you?
• Efficiency Score & calculations
• Bridge Dimensions
• Improvement Options
• Photos with descriptions that show the progress of the project