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QuadraJets
Junior Member
USA
344 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Apr 2003 : 18:44:10
Yesterday my school held its annual balsa bridge breaking contest. The physics students build balsa "bridges" to given requirements, and then pile weights on 'em until they explode! The structure could not exceed 30 grams in weight, and had to have a minimum span of 25 cm with exactly 4 points of contact. 28 bridges were smashed, but in the end, mine came out as the winner: weighing in at 29.8 grams and holding 228.1 pounds! The 7th highest weight held since 1977! I put a website together for the contest (and suckered my teacher into giving me extra credit for it), with pics of all the bridges involved and whatnot: http://homepage.mac.com/quadrajet/bridges/bridgecontest.html Just thought I'd brag a bit  Artillery Commander/Engineer, 68kMLA
Liberated:
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68k.dyndns.org Edited by - quadrajets on 24 Apr 2003 18:44:45 |
scchicago
Full Member
USA
936 Posts |
Posted - 24 Apr 2003 : 18:55:06
lol, cool._________________
Leutennant SCCHICAGO
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G4from128k
Full Member
USA
873 Posts |
Posted - 24 Apr 2003 : 19:00:51
Congratulations! Engineering contests like that are really fun! How did you make such a strong bridge? Was it balsa-colored titanium perhaps?  G4From128k by Day: Mild-Mannered Engineer and Trapeze(tm) Artist
by Night: Colonel of Truth, Justice, and the Macintosh Way
Reserve Officer in 68kMLA Cantankerous Coot Contingent
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Trash80toG-4
NIGHT STALKER
USA
2899 Posts |
Posted - 24 Apr 2003 : 19:10:18
Congratulations, that's quite an achievement!  The design looks interesting, how'd you come up with the plan? jt  ™.
Trash Hauler: call sign: eight-ball
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QuadraJets
Junior Member
USA
344 Posts |
Posted - 24 Apr 2003 : 19:21:27
quote:
The design looks interesting, how'd you come up with the plan?
The design came from my imagination, I just started drawing something with no vertical pieces and thought about what part would have a certain kind of force on it. Since balsa is strongest under tension, I made the tower so almost every piece was being pulled more than being pushed. Everyone thought those little 1/8" tension pieces on the bottom were going to touch the floor and disqualify me  Artillery Commander/Engineer, 68kMLA
Liberated:
LCII , III+, IIci, Q700, 800, and 840av, P550, 410
Contraband: Beige G3/300 MT o/c 400mhz, (2) 6100's
Hotline mirror server:
68k.dyndns.org
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cory5412
68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms
USA
4679 Posts |
Posted - 24 Apr 2003 : 19:34:08
I watched the physics class here do that (whilst on journalism work actually... inverviewing for an article ) and it was pretty cool....I swear some of those things could have held them! Official 68k videographer
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Bridge Breaking!
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