Creative Engineering Design: Straw Bridge Design Challenge
Bridges allow us to travel conveniently over obstacles like rivers.Copyright 2003, Denise W. Carlson
Working as engineering teams, students use the engineering design process to plan, create, and test model bridges using plastic drinking straws and tape as their construction materials. Their goal is to build the strongest bridge with a truss pattern of their design while meeting the design criteria and constraints. They experiment with different geometric shapes and determine how shapes affect the strength of materials.
Engineers brainstorm, design, and test solutions to real-life problems. For example, civil and structural engineers who design new buildings are challenged to create homes, buildings, and skyscrapers that are both eco-friendly and structurally sound. To design bridges, engineers perform a careful analysis of bridge geometries and the anticipated applied loads so they can determine the exact place of the reaction forces. Engineers also consider the most effective materials to achieve a balance of tension and compression. Engineers determine the bridge type, design, and materials; analyze site conditions, and geologic and environmental factors; and establish detailed design plans and budget/funding schedules.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe and design model truss bridges.
- Identify effective geometric shapes used in bridge design.
- Identify several factors that engineers consider when designing bridges.