More than 20 different student groups at the College of Engineering organize and oversee contests of various forms. Some of our favorites include:
Edible car contest – exactly as it sounds, build a miniature, functioning car out of food items
Egg drop contest – design a container for holding an egg that will keep the egg from breaking after dropping it from a height of several stories.
We will continue to add new contests as E-Day approaches. Be sure to check back here for up-to-the-minute information on all the different contests.
Balloons and straws are used to race balloons down a long hallway. Candy is given to the winner of each race. This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
Participants will be given a passport that describes an adventure, but there are blanks in the story. They must visit 4 stations and complete a task in order to fill in each blank. Once they have done that, they will win a prize! This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
Contestants will compete to see who can load the most coal into a dump truck using a remote controlled front-end loader. The material will weighed and the person with the most material loaded after one and a half minutes wins a prize. This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
Several rounds of science, engineering and math based questions for participants to answer. In between rounds we will also be having short engineering related challenges for participants to complete that will be in a format similar to the popular game show "minute to win it." This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
Contestants will construct a bridge using only LEGO blocks. All materials needed for construction will be provided. Contestants will label their bridge with their name, email and contact phone number. The bridges will then be tested to see how much weight they are able to hold; weight will be added in slowly applied increments until the bridge fails. Failure is defined as the bridge no longer being able to span the 10 inch gap. The contestant whose bridge is able to hold the highest load will win prizes! This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
This contest is in concert with the FIRST Lego League Robotics exhibition. This is a contest to see who can build a Lego model of the Tau Beta Pi Bent in the shortest time. Competitors will be shown a prototype of the Bent of Tau Beta Pi and will be timed as they build their own replica of it. Prizes will be given for the best times according to age groups. This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
Contestants get to walk up and test their skill at building a catapult out of the provided materials in the allotted time. This event will repeat every few minutes and will be judged for distance. This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
Contestants will compete on a rail simulator to see who can switch the railroad cars the fastest.This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
The contestants will guess the number Rasching Rings contained in a cylinder. The closest guess will win. Rasching Rings are a type of packing used in distillation column. This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
Judges will measure the height of the tower as a straight line distance from base of tower to tallest point on the tower. This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
This event is for all ages. Participants will get a designated amount of dry spaghetti noodles and marshmallows. They will then design the strongest bridge that they can using the noodles as the structural members and the marshmallows as the joints. Upon completion, weights will be used to test the bridge's strength. The strongest bridge wins. This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
This event is a tower building competition. Each participant receives a set amount of tape and paper. The contestant then builds a tower as tall has he or she can. This is a walk-up contest, pre-registration is NOT required.
Students will mail in an individual Pringle chip that has been packaged in any way desired, so long as it does not modify the chip and the chip may reasonably be removed from the packaging without causing damage. The goal of the contest is to keep the Pringle intact and to have the lightest package possible. Judging will be split into divisions among students with prizes awarded. The winning chip container will be determined as the lightest package with an unbroken and undamaged Pringle. Students will need to mail their packages to:
KSPE President
University of Kentucky
Department of Civil Engineering
161 Raymond Building
Lexington, KY 40506-0281
and include their name, address, school name, and year in school. The package will serve as the pre-registration for this contest.
Your mission is to design a volcano such that the lava will flow the closest to 18 inches from the outer edge of the volcano base. This can be accomplished by varying the volcano height, mountain slope, and the size and shape of the volcano shaft. No other materials may be used to channel the flow of the lava. Volcanoes must be built in teams of two or three individuals of any age. It is important for you to learn how to work with your peers because many projects in college and industry are group efforts. The volcanic eruption should be simulated using no more than one (1) cup of vinegar, one (1) tablespoon of baking soda, and any amount of corn starch. Pre-measured allotments will be provided for you at the competition, so do not bring your own lava materials. The volcano must be constructed at home using mostly recyclable materials (suggested construction materials: Baking Soda, Vinegar, measuring cups, disposable cups, measuring tape, towels, multi-surface cleaner). Prizes will be awarded. Pre-registration is required. Rules & Specifications
Register...Using completely edible components, students can create a car to race down a ramp for a prize! Ingredients and equipment will be completely furnished, but students are welcome to bring their own edible materials to assemble into a car. Items such as pretzels, cookies, carrots, candies, a variety of uncooked pasta, peanut butter, icing, bananas, crackers, marshmallows and much, much more will be provided. Creativity is a must! Students 18 years and under are permitted to enter, but the contest is geared toward middle school and elementary school level children. No pre-registration is required, simply show up on the day of the contest and build your car! Rules & Specifications
The objective of the Egg Drop Contest is to design a container in which a raw egg can survive a 34-foot fall. Winning is based on lightest weight and shortest travel time. Contestants should note that more emphasis is placed on the travel time of the vehicle and the weight will be considered only in case of a tie. Remember: The egg must not break. Pre-registration is required. Rules & Specifications
Register...
WHEN: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014 12PM-1PM
WHERE: RAYMOND STUDENT COMMONS AREA OF RALPH G. ANDERSON BUILDING
EVERYONE WELCOME!
CONTACT EMILY DOTSON EAD@UKY.EDU FOR MORE INFORMATION
Each year, as part of the E-Day celebration, the UK College of Engineering invites a notable engineer to campus to discuss the role of good communication in their career. This year, the College is delighted to welcome Scott Murray to speak on Friday, February 21, 2014 from 12pm-1pm in the Raymond Oliver Student Commons area of the Ralph G. Anderson Building. Mr. Murray holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from UK. Currently the Senior Vice President at Stantec in Lexington, Mr. Murray is an authority on geographic information systems and geotechnical engineering. He has been active in Kentucky as president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Kentucky, the Kentucky Geotechnical Engineering group and the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Bluegrass Branch. Nationally, he has served as a National Transportation Steering Committee member with the American Association State Highway and Transportation Officials and as National State Liaison Subcommittee chairperson with the national ACES. No RSVP is required and all are invited to the free lunch and talk.
