7. Bridge Building (Remote Learning)

Check out this page on making paper beams.

How Bridges Work (How Stuff Works) (p. 1-7 are most useful).

This guy gives a brief lecture on truss Bridges.

The physics of trusses.

You will need to design and build a paper bridge using as many pieces of paper as you like. Paper glue is allowed. You will also be able to use basic tape such as masking tape or Scotch tape. Tape should be used to hold things together, but should not be covering every surface.

• Bridge will span a gap of 40 cm. (So make the bridge longer than 40 cm).
• Width of bridge must be at least 8 cm wide.
• No other materials besides paper, glue and tape are allowed.
• Keep track of how many sheets of paper you use!
• Your goal is to have a bridge that can win one (or all) of these categories:
  • Best looking bridge.
  • Strongest bridge (holds the most mass).
  • Strongest per sheet. This means the bridge has the highest ratio of (mass held) / (sheet of paper used.)