On February 13th, Illinois Institute of Technology will host the 27th annual Chicago Regional Bridge Building Contest. About 60 schools are expected to participate and 160 to 170 bridges will be crushed during the contest. Building and breaking bridges teaches important concepts about physics and engineering. This contest is also often the first time kids are introduced to engineering as a possible career choice. Bridges can weigh no more than 30 grams - about the weight of a small apple.
Students build the bridges from basswood, a very lightweight wood.
The lightest bridge that can hold 50 kilograms of weight wins. The winners of the Chicago Regional Contest go on to compete in the national contest which will also be held on IIT's campus on April 28th. He will bring leadership experience and a keen understanding of the issues that will face us. Before assuming the presidency, Collens was dean of the Chicago-Kent College of Law at IIT for 16 years. During his tenure, the university has seen its research volume grow significantly.