Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Bridge Building Competition - 2015

The Rules

  • The bridge is to be built from spaghetti and hot glue.
  • You will only be allowed to use the amount of spaghetti and glue that you can “buy” with the “money” you earned playing Cargo Bridge
  • The bridge shall be free-standing and must span two level surfaces which are 16 inches apart. • The support for the bridge shall be from the top of the level surfaces. The edges of the level surfaces cannot be used in any way for support.
  • The bridge must include a decking of spaghetti to provide a suitable road surface at least 2 inches wide across the full span of the bridge so that a Hot Wheels car may pass over it. Gaps in the bridge deck should be small enough that the car can roll over the bridge. The car must be able to move along the length of the decking unobstructed from end to end.
  • To test the bridge string will be looped around the center of the bridge. All loads will be suspended from this string. There must be a clear space directly below it to allow loads to be attached. Loads will be attached to the string until the bridge breaks.
  • The winner of the contest will be the bridge with the highest Load capacity to bridge mass ratio, also known as performance ratio. (Found by dividing the load that the bridge supported by the mass of the bridge.)

The Bridges

Bridge #1
Mass of bridge: 5.33 oz
Money spent: $2850
Load: 28.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 5.347


Bridge #2
Mass of bridge:4.55 oz
Money spent: $4150
Load: 8.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 1.868


Bridge #3
Mass of bridge: 3.77 oz
Money spent: $2400
Load: 18.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 4.907


Bridge #4
Mass of bridge: 12.35 oz
Money spent: $4300
Load: 43.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 3.522


Bridge #5
Mass of bridge: 12.59 oz
Money spent: $3250
Load: 139.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 11.080

 
Bridge #6
Mass of bridge: 4.52 oz
Money spent: $2200
Load: 18.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 4.092
 

Bridge #7
Mass of bridge: 6.10 oz
Money spent: $2800
Load: 251.5
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 41.229


Bridge #8
Mass of bridge: 7.51 oz
Money spent: $4400
Load: 13.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 1.797


Bridge #9
Mass of bridge: 6.10 oz
Money spent: $6100
Load: 119.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 19.590


Bridge #10
Mass of bridge: 2.75 oz
Money spent: $1350
Load: 8.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 3.090


Bridge #11
Mass of bridge: 6.49 oz
Money spent: $2600
Load: 68.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio -10.554


Bridge #12
Mass of bridge: 4.73 oz
Money spent: $2300
Load: 48.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 10.253


Bridge #13
Mass of bridge: 4.44 oz
Money spent: $1400
Load: 18.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 4.166


Bridge #14
Mass of bridge: 4.66 oz
Money spent: $2000
Load: 13.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 2.896


Bridge #15
Mass of bridge: 6.00 oz
Money spent: $3450
Load: 43.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 7.25

 
Bridge #16
Mass of bridge: 2.54 oz
Money spent: $2950
Load: 28.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 11.220


Bridge #17
Mass of bridge: 5.01 oz
Money spent: $2850
Load: 144.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 28.842


Bridge #18
Mass of bridge: 10.23
Money spent: $5800
Load: 64.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 6.304


Bridge #19
Mass of bridge: 7.76
Money spent: $4650
Load: 114.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 14.755


Bridge #20
Mass of bridge: 11.32
Money spent: $5150
Load: 119.5 oz
 Load capacity to bridge mass ratio - 10.556