Tinian GCA floors competition in bridge-building tilt

The first-ever Balsa Wood Bridge-Building Contest was held last Saturday at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe with 21 teams from 12 different CNMI schools participating.

The bridges were judged on design appearance and engineering efficiency and were tested by loading them with weights until they broke.

The engineering efficiency was determined by dividing the weight that the bridge held by the weight of the bridge itself.

Tinian Grace Christian Academy’s Junior High School walked away with the most impressive performance by building a bridge that weighed just over 1 ounce (31 grams) that managed to hold 129 lbs—almost 2,000 times it own weight.

The Balsa Wood Bridge-Building Contest was conducted as part of Engineers Week. The purpose of National Engineer’s Week is to increase the public’s awareness and appreciation of the engineering profession. EFC Engineers and Architects spearheaded the Balsa Wood Bridge Building contest as a method to help bring practical applications of math, science, and technology to the classroom and to increase student interest that will allow them to pursue engineering and technical studies in college.

Various exhibits were also available for students to see how engineering works in the CNMI. The Division of Environmental Quality, Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s Water and Power Divisions and the Coastal Resources Management Office had displays depicting how engineering works in their agencies. Henry K. Pangelinan and Associates, Geotesting and SSFM also had displays for students to visit.

A pinewood derby racetrack, provided by the Cub Scouts Pack 913, was present to show how one would use physics to design a race car that would be the fastest one down the ramp. This part of the exhibit and the Lego-building area were a hit with the 9-and-under crowd.

Additionally, EFC Engineers and Architects provided a CADD station so that students could see how engineers create designs using computers. Other exhibits included a hydraulic jump apparatus, which showed how and why engineers design drainage channels, and a PowerPoint presentation with information on the many disciplines of engineering.

The first 75 students attending the exhibit received a Big Dipper gift certificate and throughout the morning, raffle prizes were given to students attending the exhibit. These prizes were provided by Pacific Islands Club, Church’s Chicken, McDonald’s, EFC Engineers and Architects, and Henry K. Pangelinan & Associates.

Overall, students found the event fun and educational. According to one student, “It was really neat to see the bridges break, and the raffle prizes were great, too!” (PR)