Opportunity brief
Design Smart. Build Strong. Bear the Load.
Competition Description:
Think you have what it takes to design a bridge that can withstand the ultimate load test? Welcome to TRUSS-T, a team-based structural engineering challenge where creativity, calculations, and construction come together!
Teams must design and construct a bridge using ice cream sticks within the specified dimensions of 25 cm × 10 cm. The bridge must follow a truss structure, with the design, geometry, and arrangement of members decided by the team members themselves.
Once construction is complete, the bridge will be mounted on the designated supports, and weights will be gradually suspended from its centre to test its load-bearing capacity.
The real challenge lies in achieving maximum strength with a limited set of materials. Can your truss design withstand the greatest load without structural failure?
Design intelligently. Build precisely. Prove your engineering.
Competition Format:
- Participation: Team-based
- Duration: As announced by the organizers
- Construction Material: Ice cream sticks and organizer-approved joining materials
- Bridge Dimensions: 25 cm × 10 cm, as specified by the organizers
- Structural Type: Truss bridge
- Testing Method: Incremental loading at the centre of the bridge
- Winning Criteria: Maximum load sustained before structural failure
Rules and Regulations:
- Each team must design and construct a bridge using ice cream sticks within the prescribed dimensions.
- The bridge must incorporate a recognizable truss structure, with the arrangement and geometry of the truss members decided by the team.
- Only materials approved by the organizers may be used for construction.
- Teams must complete their bridges within the allotted time.
- The completed bridge must satisfy the specified dimensional and support requirements before testing.
- During testing, the bridge will be placed on standardized supports, and weights will be suspended from its centre using the designated loading arrangement.
- Loads will be increased gradually according to the organizers' testing procedure.
- Participants must not touch, adjust, or reinforce the bridge once load testing begins.
- The maximum load sustained before structural failure will determine the team's performance.
- All participants must follow the organizers' safety instructions during construction and testing.
- The organizers' decisions regarding dimensional compliance, structural failure, and final results will be binding.
Judging Criteria:
- Load-Bearing Capacity: Maximum load sustained before structural failure.
- Design and Structural Integrity: Effectiveness of the truss arrangement and load distribution.
- Dimensional Compliance: Adherence to the specified bridge dimensions.
- Rule Compliance: Use of permitted materials and adherence to construction and testing procedures.
Winner Selection:
- The team whose bridge sustains the highest load before structural failure will be declared the winner, provided it satisfies all competition requirements.
- In case of a tie, the organizers may use the bridge's self-weight and load-to-weight ratio as secondary criteria, provided these are announced before the competition.
Prizes and Certificates:
- The organizers will award prizes and certificates to winning teams, with certificates of participation for eligible participants.
What to Expect:
TRUSS-T challenges participants to apply the principles of truss mechanics, force distribution, tension, compression, and structural stability in a hands-on engineering environment. Every joint, member, and connection can influence the final result.
Can your bridge carry the weight of your engineering?