Bridge Building UC Style

This is the last week of classes here at the University of Canterbury for the spring term. On Monday the Civil Engineering Dept. sponsored a bridge building contest. It drew quite a crowd. The bridges were tested over the Avon River just outside the Student Union on campus. Bridges were constructed of wood beams, metal connectors, and wires. They were cantilevered from a support on the river bank over a support in the river. Each bridge was about 4 metres long. Steps were placed on the bridge and then students walked out onto the bridge.

Counterweight was provided by other students standing on the shore end of the bridge. One of the last bridges tested did not have enough counterweight on it and the testers ended up in the drink without having the bridge break. They got to try again.

The students each held onto a rope suspended from a pulley for balance and to slow their descent into the river when the bridge failed.

There were several categories of

prizes. The primary objective was to get two people on the end of the bridge and then have the bridge break as the third person reached the end. One prize was for the lightest bridge that held 2 people and broke on command. Another was for holding the most people.
This one was very strong.

It got very crowded when they got 6 people on the end.

This one did not fare as well. Two on successfully and down they go to get wet feet just before the third person reached the end.

Should we scale up the LPS bridge building contest? Too bad we don’t have a river on campus.