Popsicle ™ Stick Bridge Construction Contest

General Information

The model bridge construction competition will be held Saturday, February 25, 2012.

Models and entry forms should be brought to room 226 Raymond Building between 8:45 and 9:45 a.m. on February 25. Testing the bridges takes several hours and students are welcome to stay but do not have to be present for their bridge to compete.

Rules and specifications

• For each bridge entered, one entry form must be submitted.
• The competition is limited to high school and middle school students.
• No more than one bridge may be entered per contestant (or team of two people).
• Contestant(s) name(s) must be clearly and legibly marked with a dark marker on top of the bridge deck so that all bridges can be easily identified.

Note: Because of overwhelming response in previous years, the E-Day Committee has decided to limit Popsicle ™ Bridge Contest Entries to three (3) submissions per age group per school!

1. Overall length: 65 to 75 cm.
2. Height (not including supports): 8 to 15 cm.
3. Width of deck (roadway): 8 to 12 cm.
4. Height of Supports: 10 to 15 cm.
5. Innermost distance between supports must be at least 40 cm.
6. Solid, smooth decking (roadway surface) along the length of the bridge.
7. Center of bridge must be designed to allow for testing with the loading cylinder (no cross supports above the bridge deck may be located at the center of the bridge, SEE FIGURE BELOW). There cannot be anything on the bridge that blocks the cylinder from resting on the bridge deck.

Note: The bridge MUST meet all size specifications. A bridge that is larger than the allowed dimensions cannot be tested due to loading machine restrictions. Therefore, any bridge not meeting the size requirements will be disqualified.

Materials

1. Craft (or popsicle ™) sticks (may be cut down to any length). No large popsicle ™ sticks like those used in medical examinations.
2. Elmer’s Glue-All.

Testing

A metal cylinder (6 cm. Diameter) will apply a load vertically onto the bridge deck at the center of the span. There must be sufficient room to allow this loading cylinder to reach the deck. Note: It is recommended that the deck be ‘beefed up’ at the center of the deck where the load will be applied).

Judging

1. Judges will verify dimensions of bridges before contest.
2. Bridges not meeting specifications will be disqualified from competition, but can still be tested (if possible) for demonstration purposes only.
3. Each bridge will be weighed before testing.
4. Bridges will be loaded to destruction by increasing a load applied at the center of the bridge. The winner of the competition will be the most efficient bridge. Efficiency of the design will be calculated using the weight of the bridge and the maximum load applied before breaking.
5. The winner of the competition will be the most efficient bridge. Efficiency of the design will be calculated using the weight of the bridge and the maximum load applied before breaking. The winning design will be the one with the highest efficiency (applied load divided by weight).