Bridge Building

Austen Jefferson, Nora Durcan, and Zuri Bryant

Washington Latin Public Charter School, 5200 2nd St NW, Washington, DC 20011

Introduction: Schematic Design: Score:

We had to rely on Problem Bridge weight: 12 grams
Solving Skills to combat This is our Weight added: 9 pounds
unforeseen challenges, original Weight held: 10 pounds
developed and use models schematic Strength to weight ratio:
to plan our bridge. design, which 0.8333.
We were inspired by different was a warren Conclusion:
bridge designs like Warren, bridge that ● Our bridge did pretty well on
Pratt, and K-truss1. we changes breaking day, but we would
to have 6 have liked it to do better.
Objective: verticals and ● If we did this again, we would
Our objective was to build a 7 diagonals2. have more joints that weren’t
bridge, out of balsa wood, just glue, and we would have
spanning over a 25 mc gap. Design Process: focused on making the bridge
Materials: Figure 1: Layout
lighter.
Figure 2: Bridge Figure 3: Final bridge
For this project we used and structure. gets 3D. (breaking day). Resources and Credits:
Figure 4: After 1. “3 Simple and Effective
were ⅛ inch balsa wood Breaking Balsa Wood Bridge
sticks, wood glue, wax Designs.”
ACSUPPLYCO.COM,
paper, and toothpicks. https://www.acsupplyc
o.com/three-simple-an
d-effective-balsa-wood
Procedures: -bridge-designs.

1. Make a schematic design 2. Keller, Seth Alec, and

Ryan Van Bibber. "13
2. Cut all of your pieces Types of Wood Joints
and Their Use
3. Glue each side one at a Explained."
Familyhandyman.com,
time 31 Jan. 2023,
We cut the pieces to www.familyhandyman.c
4. Connect all four sides size and laid them
We glued things This was the actual Our broken
om/list/
together to make bridge we broke on bridge. It broke
5. Test and collect data out on a sketch of the
design the bridge 3d breaking day from the bottom
woodworking-joints/.
Accessed 21 Mar. 2023