2014 International Bridge Building Contest Held at IIT

On May 10, 2014, high school students from all over the country gathered on the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Main Campus in Chicago, Illinois for the 2014 International Bridge Building Contest. The winners of previous regional contests competed against each other to build the most efficient bridge during the international competition. The contest began as a way to get high school students excited about engineering.

Students were to build model bridges that are simplified versions of their real-world counterpart. Each student is given a standard kit to build from and are only allowed to use the supplied wood and common adhesives. The bridges are then tested by applying a load to them. Efficiency is rated by dividing the load supported by the bridge by the total mass of the bridge. The bridge with the highest efficiency rating is declared the winner.

This year’s winner is Cole Bemis (pictured above with representatives from Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), from Riverdale High School in Portland, Oregon. His bridge held over 5,000 times its own weight. Nina Marchell, from Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida earned a second place spot, and LeAnn Chung, from Ed W. Clark High School in Las Vegas, Nevada placed third in the competition.

The winner of the 2014 Chicago Regional Bridge Building Contest, Brian Tam, from Walter Payton College Prep placed ninth overall in the competition.

Congratulations to all students that took part in competitions across the US this year!

For a complete list of winners and more information about the competition click here.