Our Engineering Competition!

One of the families in our homeschool group has devised a toothpick bridge building competition!  This sounds really fun and we cannot wait to participate....David will start constructing this weekend!  Here are our guidelines:

This will be a fun and exciting project provided you, the participant review these rules closely and keep in mind this is a competition of you using your entire mind. Skills used are; thought, reasoning, hand to eye coordination and interpolation.


TOOTHPICK BRIDGE BUILDING:

Each bridge must satisfy the following requirements:

R 1. Each student will submit one toothpick bridge for testing.

R 2. The bridge will be constructed only from

a. Diamond or Forster flat, round, or square tooth picks approximately 6.5 cm in length from a box labeled accordingly: Flat, Round, or Square Toothpicks;

b. Elmer'sTM woodworkers glue.

R 3. Toothpicks may not be broken.

a. Imperfect toothpicks may be traded in for new ones.

R 4. The mass of the bridge shall not exceed 35 grams.

R 5. While resting on a table the bridge shall allow for a 5 cm x 5 cm x 30 cm board to pass under the bridge parallel to the length of the bridge, and with the movement of the board perpendicular to the roadway along the table top.

R 6. The roadway of the bridge shall be a minimum of 4 cm wide along the maximum length of the bridge and at a height from the table top of not more than 10 cm. The roadway shall consist of at least a rail along each side, which is continuous along the maximum length of the bridge. It need not have a travelable surface. When a 3.5-cm wide by 50-cm long 1.9 cm board is laid along the roadway, there shall not be more than a 1.0-cm vertical gap between the board and roadway on either end.

R 7. The bridge shall allow for a test rod of 2 cm x 4 cm x 15 cm to be placed across the bridge at the roadway level and with both bottom 15 cm edges within 3 cm horizontally of the center of the 30 cm span roadway. A 5/16 thread eye bolt, 7.62 cm long will be placed in the center to pull downward.

R 8. The maximum bridge height shall be 22 cm.

R 9. The bridge must be "free standing".

R 10. Specified tooth picks and glue are the only materials to be used.

R 11. No discoloration of the bridge will be allowed.

a. No paint, stain, markers, etc.

b. Other decorations may be used, but must be able to readily remove the decoration(s) so the judge may review the bridge.



The Competition –

The bridges will be tested as follows:

C 1. The bridge shall be placed on a testing stand, which will consist of two flat level surfaces, which will be level with respect to each other and separated by approximately 25 cm.

C 2. The testing apparatus will be placed on the bridge with the test rod placed on the roadway as specified above. (Maximum bridge height is 22 cm.)

C 3. Force will be applied slowly by the student adding weight to a bucket while the judge calls the scale reading until the bridge breaks or the maximum weight is reached. The bucket will be weighed.

C 4. The bridge must be free standing or it will be broken on its side.

C 5. All bridges will be broken.

C 6. The bridge that is able to hold the most weight before breaking wins the contest.

Will let you know how we do......