Pasta Bridges

Materials List

Each group needs:

  • 40-60 Spaghetti Noodles

  • Glue

  • scissors

  • measuring stick or ruler

  • Paper for Blueprint

For the entire class to share:

  • small paper cup

  • 200-300 pennies (to use as weight)

  • wooden support structure (or use two desks)

  • balance (for weighing, or count the pennies instead of weighing)

STEP 1:

Blueprint. Draw an exact drawing of the SIDE-VIEW of your truss.

STEP 2:

Glue two strands of pasta together the length of the truss along the bottom.

STEP 3:

Glue the outside frame and verticals.

STEP 4:

GLUE the diagonals. **You can measure them before gluing,

OR

as illustrated, glue then cut off the extra...carefully!

STEP 5:

Do it again! Make a second truss for the other side.

STEP 6:

BLUEPRINT #2: The bottom frame (a.k.a. "the frame for the roadbed/deck)


Notice that the cross bars on the bottom frame line up with the vertical braces of the truss?

STEP 7:

GLUE the frame for the bottom.

STEP 8:

Glue the roadbed/deck onto the bottom frame.

Leave a hole in the middle for the eye-hook!



STEP 9:

Glue bottom frame to one truss. (It's easier to glue together with the truss on its side.)

STEP 10:

Glue the other truss on the other side of the bottom frame.

Make sure the sides are straight up!

STEP 11:

Measure how wide the bottom of the bridge is. Break pieces this size to connect the trusses.

Then glue the trusses together with the pieces.