Bridge Design and Construction

The steps to designing and building the strongest but lightest bridge

The bridge kit

• The UTA kit consists of 3 sizes of balsa wood

• Elmer’s All purpose Glue

• Toothpicks

Small

Medium

Large

No higher than this line

14 inches

7 in.

Maximum Length of Bridge 18 inches

Research the Major Bridge Truss Designs at http://www.matsuo-bridge.co.jp/english/bridges/index.shtm

• Howe

• Pratt

• Warren 1

• Warren 2

Pitsco Bridge Tester

The Pitsco Bridge tester uses hydraulics to move a board that is placed on the decking. A center section through the middle of the base of the bridge must be left open for testing.

The Pitsco Bridge Tester

The part of the tester that supports the bridge is called the abutments. The end width of the bridge must be narrow enough for the bridge to rest securely on the abutments.

Abutment

Pitfalls to Avoid

The decking cannot be thicker than the width of the largest board plus the width of the smallest board.

When viewing the bridge from the end, an open area 75mm by 50 mm should be visible.

Bridge Decking

Inside Dimensions of Roadway

• There is a minimum inside dimension that is the innermost wood on the bridge decking. The minimum inside width is 7.5 cm and maximum outside width is 14.0 cm.

Inside dimensions

7.5

5.0