2012 BALSA BRIDGE BUILDING CONTEST RULES AND REGULATIONS Construction Guidelines 1. M teri ls used in t!

e construction o" t!e #rid$e s! ll consist onl% o" co&&erci ll% ' il #le rect n$ul r # ls stoc( nd $lue. 2. T!e tot l & ss o" t!e #rid$e )lus $lue &ust not e*ceed 100.0 $. +. T!e #rid$e s! ll cont in no ele&ent ,ider t! n 1.0 c& -+./ 01 nor t!ic(er t! n 0.23 c& -1.4 01 T,o or &ore ele&ents5 e c! se) r tel% &eetin$ t!is re6uire&ent5 & % #e l &in ted to$et!er to construct &e&#ers e*ceedin$ t!ese di&ensions. 4. T!e #rid$e s! ll llo, 3.0 c& cu#e to ) ss underne t! ,it!out touc!in$ t!e structure. T!e #rid$e s! ll lso llo, 40.0 c& lon$ #% 2.0 c& !i$! #o rd to slide underne t! ,it!out touc!in$ t!e structure. 3. T!e #rid$e s! ll #e 0"ree st ndin$0. 2. An ))ro*i& tel% le'el5 s&oot! ro d, % sur" ce5 o" &ini&u& len$t! 40.0 c& nd #o'e t!e 3.0 c& & r(5 s! ll #e )ro'ided5 cross ,!ic! s& ll &et l c r -e.$. M tc!#o*5 7ot 8!eels1 ,ill roll ,!en $i'en sin$le li$!t )us! o" t!e ! nd. T!is ro d, % s! ll ! 'e &ini&u& ,idt! o" 3.0 c& nd s! ll llo, 3.0c& cu#e to ) ss "reel% lon$ its e*tent. Note9 t!e ro d, % & teri ls &ust con"or& to rule -+1. :. No ot!er & teri l ot!er t! n # ls ,ood nd $lue & % #e tt c!ed to "in l )roduct. Brid$e Testin$ 1. T!e #rid$e )edest ls s! ll #e )l ced on le'el sur" ces se) r ted #% ))ro*i& tel% +3 c&. T!ese sur" ces s! ll #e le'el ,it! res)ect to e c! ot!er. 2. T!e st nd rd test "r &e ,ill #e )l ced on t!e ro d, % o'er t!e centre o" t!e #rid$e s) n. De)endin$ on t!e #rid$e desi$n5 t!e lo d ))lied to t!e #rid$e s! ll eit!er #e sus)ended "ro& sin$le 1.2 0 di &eter rod )l ced in t!e centre slot o" t!e test "r &e5 or "ro& t,o suc! rods )l ced in t!e outer slots. 8!ere eit!er o)tion ,ill ,or(5 t!e ;ud$e-s1 s! ll decide on t!e &et!od to #e used. +. A cont iner s! ll #e sus)ended "ro& t!e lo d<su))ortin$ "r &e. To t!is cont iner -,!ic! & % #e )re< ,ei$!ted ,it! steel ,ei$!ts s , rr nted in t!e o)inion o" t!e ;ud$e-s115 , ter nd.or steel ,ei$!ts s! ll #e dded t slo,5 ste d% r te5 until eit!er n udi#le cr c(in$ sound to$et!er ,it! 'isu l e'idence indic tes t!e " ilure o" so&e structur l &e&#er or $lue ;oint o" t!e #rid$e5 or until suit #le re"erence )oint on t!e ro d, % t t!e centre o" t!e s) n ! s #een lo,ered #% &ore t! n 2.0 c&. A co&)etitor & % not ) rtici) te in t!e ddition o" ,ei$!t to !is.!er o,n #rid$e. All decisions o" t!e ;ud$e-s1 re "in l. 4. T!e tot l & ss o" t!e test "r &e5 cont iner5 ! n$in$ de'ices nd cont iner contents s! ll #e recorded s t!e co&)etitor=s score. Brid$e Buildin$ Ti) S!eet Use s& ll # ls ,ood s , - #out >+1 inste d o" n e* cto (ni"e to & (e cuts Cut s& ll notc!es to connect #rid$e co&)onents Use # sic c r)enter=s $lue ?ello, $lues cont in li)! tic resin5 used in t!e & ;orit% o" ,innin$ #rid$es @e,er )ieces &e n "e,er )ro#le&s Aee) )edest ls -"eet1 si&)le Cl &) $lued )ieces "or #out ! l" n !our -use )rotecti'e stri)s to 'oid d & $in$ t!e # ls 1. I" %ou don=t ! 'e n% cl &)s %ou c n use clot!es )e$s. C<t%)e cl &)s re ' il #le 6uite ine*)ensi'el% t C n di n Tire Desi$n "or stren$t! t t!e lo d ))lic tion )oint

Construct ro d, % o" t!in5 n rro, stri)s o" # ls Don=t $lue do,n ends o" ro d , %sBt!e% usu ll% #end u), rds under lo d Ro d, % &ust su))ort s& ll 7ot 8!eels<t%)e c r Most #rid$es #end in, rds - s 'ie,ed "ro& one end1C conse6uentl% t!e% re6uire !oriDont l #r cin$ 8rite %our te & nu&#er )ro&inentl% on & in !oriDont l #e & o" %our #rid$e nd on #ot! sides o" t!e #rid$e Dou#le c!ec( t! t 40 c&<lon$ #o rd ,ill "it #et,een t!e )edest ls -"eet1 o" %our #rid$e Dou#le c!ec( t! t 3 c& cu#e ,ill "it underne t! %our #rid$e nd lon$ %our ro d, %. ?ou c n & (e ne rl% )er"ect 3 c& cu#e "ro& Le$o #ric(s Do not co'er %our #rid$e ,it! n% & teri l. Glue s!ould #e used onl% to ;oin co&)onents Use li$!t s nd) )er -nu&#er 130 or !i$!er1 to $entl% cle n %our #rid$e nd re&o'e e*cess $lue So&e co&&on &ist (es9 o Usin$ sin$le s!eet o" # ls "or ro d, % -solution9 cut into stri)s1 o M (in$ outside ,idt! 3.0 c& inste d o" inside di&ension o M (in$ o'er ll len$t! 40 c& inste d o" s) n -#et,een )edest ls1 o @or$ettin$ 2.0 c& !ei$!t re6uire&ent t 40 c& ,idt! o Not llo,in$ roo& "or #olt-s1 on test "r &e o ?our #rid$e ,ill lose ,ei$!t s it dries -co&&on senseEEE1

Desi$n nd )l n %our structure St rt si&)leF Dr , out %our desi$ns "irst t!in(in$ #out ,! t ,ill ! ))en ,!en %ou )l ce ,ei$!t on t!e to) o" t!e structure. 8!en #uildin$5 t (e t!e ti&e to do t!in$s ri$!t5 don=t tr% to rus!5 #e )recise5 don=t #e slo))% ,it! t!e $lue #ottleF T!in( #out ,! t siDe nd ,ei$!t o" ,ood %ou ,ill use "or e c! )iece. Tr% to $et %our structure s close to t!e ,ei$!t li&it s %ou c n. T!e &ore ,ood %ou c n )ut in it5 t!e &ore it s!ould #e #le to !oldC !o,e'er5 t!is does not &e n t! t t!e structure ,it! t!e &ost ,ood ,ill !old t!e &ost. Decidin$ !o, ,ide to & (e structure is di""icult t s(. ?ou &ust consider t! t t!e ,ider t!e structure5 t!e &ore it ,ill ,ei$! ,it! t!e e*tr #r cin$. 7o,e'er5 i" structure is too n rro,5 it & % lose so&e st #ilit%. Also5 do not )us! t!e !ei$!t li&it to t!e & *i&u&. T!e s!orter t!e structure t!e #etter. Re&e&#er9 Mini&u& o" /0F T!e s!orter t!e structure t!e less %ou ! 'e to #r ce5 nd t!e ,ood t! t is not used s 'es ,ei$!t. B ls ,ood=s ,ei$!t T,o +20 stic(s o" # ls ,ood 1./0 s6u re & % ,ei$! s &uc! s 4 $r &s5 or s little s .3 $r &s. Also5 # ls ,ood #sor#s , ter "ro& t!e ir. Dr% ,ood ,ei$!s less5 ,et ,ood ,ei$!s &ore. T!in( #out , %s %ou could $et t!e structure to lose so&e o" t!e e*cess , ter. B ls ,ood $r in ) tterns Loo( e*tre&el% close t stic( o" # ls ,ood9 Do t!e $r in lines run ) r llel ,it! t!e ed$es o" t!e stic(5 or do t!e% cut di $on ll% cross t!e stic(E Belie'e it or not5 #ut t!is does & (e su#st nti l di""erence in !o, &uc! ,ei$!t structure c n !old. Ad!esi'es.Glues E*)lore di""erent o)tions9 t!ere re ,ood $lues - li)! tic resins15 su)er $lues -c% no cr%l tes15 &odel ce&ents5 nd e)o*ies. Tr% $luin$ t,o )ieces o" # ls ,ood to$et!er ,it! t!e di""erent t%)es o" $lue5 t!en tr% #re (in$ t!e& ) rt ,it! %our ! nds. C n %ou tell di""erenceE Loo( t closel% t ,!ere it #ro(e5 did t!e $lue $i'e , %5 or did t!e ,ood itsel" #re (E Re d , rnin$ l #els on ll )roducts. C!ec( to see ,! t & teri ls t!e $lue is reco&&ended "or. A t!ic( $lue ,ill #rid$e tin% $ )s5 runn% e sil% #sor#ent $lue ,ill ) rti ll% so ( into t!e ,ood. Aee) ccur te records Aee) dr ,in$s o" t!e structures %ou #uilt. Got do,n notes #out !o, &uc! it !eld5 ,! t t%)e o" $lue %ou used5 !o, &uc! it ,ei$!ed5 t!e siDes o" ,ood used5 or n%t!in$ else t! t &i$!t ! 'e ! d so&e e""ect on t!e , % it !eld u) or #ro(e do,n.
Ad )ted "ro& contest #oo(let )u#lis!ed c . 1H:/ entitled 0I!%sics Ol%&)ics0