The students will learn that sometimes the specifications given are conflicting. In particular the strength and weight of a bridge are conflicting specifications. When this occurs the designer must often use creative solutions to solve the problem. The purpose of this project is to give students a exciting way to learn how different materials have vastly different properties. Some materials work only in tension while some materials work best in compression.
String is very light also, but it only works in tension.
This project also, helps students understand that the specifications of products often conflict. This is an excellent chance to watch how structures fail, which is another branch of engineering. Each team will require a table top area with dimensions approximately three feet by three feet. It should take a team approximately three to fours hours to build a bridge. We recommend doing this project only once with the students before trying the second part.