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Attention Students
Engineers PEI is pleased to present the 15th Annual Bridge Building Contest. This contest is open to all students from Grade
5 - 12.
There is no registration fee. Entries can be prepared by one student or a group of students.
This activity offers students the opportunity to apply physics concepts to construction of a variety of different bridge designs.
Students learn about the forces and stresses their creation must endure and develop a greater understanding of structural integrity and the physics of bridge construction.
Students are encouraged to engage in research and to design the most structurally sound bridges.
Rules
1. Materials
The only materials to be used in construction of the bridges are wooden popsicle sticks and all-purpose white glue.
NO OTHER MATERIALS ARE PERMITTED. The popsicle sticks may be cut and the amount of popsicle sticks or glue used is restricted only by the maximum weight limit.
Engineers PEI has a limited amount of materials available for students. Contact Engineers PEI office by email or by call 566-1268 to order your material.
2. Design
Many bridge designs are possible; however there are certain limitations to allow the structures to be tested. In particular, the structures must comply with the weight and dimensions noted below.
The bridge must be designed to allow the hydraulic ram to apply a vertical load on the centre of the deck section of each structure. Therefore, the top centre area of the structures must be free of obstruction, allowing a minimum space of approximately 4 cm x 10 cm for the ram to be vertically applied.
NOTE: Structures that do not meet the bridge criteria
will automatically be disqualified.
If the design has part of the bridge structure extending above the main deck of the bridge, near the area where the
load will be applied, consideration should be given to effects of buckling under load. If part of this structure touches the ram as the result of buckling, it will be deemed to have reached its maximum load. The bridge
is to be designed to stand on its own, spanning the 55 cm gap on
the testing apparatus.
The more successful entries will be those which have correctly applied good engineering design principles.
All bridges will be pre-tested with a weight of 10 kg.
Bridges that do not pass this screening test will
not be tested further. Students are encouraged to pre-test on their own to determine if their bridges are eligible for the competition.
Click here for some general guidelines. Other helpful information can be found
at the library and on the Internet. Students might also wish to study some local bridges to get a few ideas.
3. Dimensions and Weight
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The width of the bridge must be between 8 cm and 15 cm. |
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The length of the bridge must be no less than 55 cm but cannot exceed 65 cm. (Hint: Shorter bridges should weigh less and
carry a larger load than a larger bridge with the same design). |
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The deck must allow a test vehicle 6 cm in width (e.g., a dinky car) to pass freely along the length of the bridge. A small piece of steel is placed between the testing apparatus and the bridge during testing (dimension: 51mm x 51mm x 6.4mm thick.) |
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The height of the bridge must not exceed 30 cm. |
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The weight of the bridge must not exceed 0.5 kg. |
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The design must allow for application of the testing apparatus without alteration to the bridge. |
4. Identification
A registration form must be securely attached to each entry. In
addition, the student's name, grade level and the school must be noted on the bridge itself using
permanent marker.
Judging
1. Evaluation
| Each bridge will be evaluated according to the following grading system: |
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80% - Strength Factor
20% - Quality of Construction and Application of Engineering Principles |
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The strength factor (S.F.) is given by the following formula:
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S.F. = Maximum Load (kg) / Weight of
Bridge (kg) |
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The bridge is considered to have failed when it collapses or the load cell readings decrease.
2. Testing
All bridges must be available for testing at the Charlottetown Mall in Charlottetown by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March
5, 2010.
Entries may be sent in advance to the Engineers PEI office by 4:00 pm on Wednesday, March
3, 2010.
Remember, all bridges will be pre-tested with a weight of
10 kg. Bridges that do not pass this pre-test will
not be tested further.
Prizes
School Prize: $500 to be awarded to the school with the highest average bridge strength (based on the top 10 finishers from each school)
Student/Team Prize: Cash prizes will be forwarded to the winning students care of the school.
| Elementary Division (Grade 5-6) |
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1st Place |
- $50 |
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2nd Place |
- $30 |
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3rd Place |
- $20 |
| Junior Division (Grade 7 - 9) |
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1st Place |
- $50 |
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2nd Place |
- $30 |
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3rd Place |
- $20 |
| Senior Division (Grade 10 - 12) |
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1st Place |
- $50 |
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2nd Place |
- $30 |
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3rd Place |
- $20 |
Engineers PEI Strongest Popsicle Bridge Builder Prize!
A Grand Prize of $100 will be awarded to the student/team whose bridge withstands the highest load that exceeds the previous all-time record
of 485 lbs of maximum load set in 2001.
All bridges must comply with all specifications as set out
in our Bridge Building Contest brochure.
Any structure that does not comply with the rules will not be
eligible for a prize. Judges' decisions will be final, however all efforts will
be made to give entries the benefit of the doubt.
Bridges that pass the pre-test will be tested to failure and returned to students who are present upon completion of the judging. Any bridges not claimed on the day of the competition will become the property of
Engineers PEI.
GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!!!
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To obtain materials, please contact
the Association office.
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