Class 6&7 – 110 lolly sticks per person or per pair; the aim was to construct a bridge that had to span a gap of 20cm, in a week or so, which was then tested with weights. We’ve been looking at the transatlantic railway in the US that was built from the east coast to the west coast. We’ve also been looking at trestle bridges and trusses in class. One of the things I promised I’d do is bring in Thomas the Tank Engine train and carriage – one of the tests of the bridge is that a train could cross it.
Think we have some budding engineers!
The bridge competition was a huge competition for the whole class. The idea was to give each team a maximum of 110 wooden sticks and allow up to two people each team. We did this after learning about the amazing trans-continental railway that connected California to New England.
As people started they thought out plans on how to make a strong bridge; some started immediately and without a plan. With a week to do it there was no time to waste, most managed to complete their bridge the day before the competition but only a couple finished quicker than most.
The day had finally arrived and we started right away. Every bridge made it past round one, managing to withstand 14.5Kg. Round two however would be a lot harder. We would use a bucket, centering the weakest part of the bridge – the middle and we would add an extra 3.5Kg. Surprisingly all but one survived.
JR