Butler County Engineer
Greg Wilkens reports that thirteen bridges collapsed within an
hour of each other last Friday. There were no injuries or fatalities
because these were toothpick bridges built by some of the area's
brightest students. The BCEO hosted sixth graders from the Hamilton
City Schools Gifted Program for a bridge building contest during
which Wilkens and staff subjected each student's bridge to a
load stress test. Amazingly, two of the 15 bridges remained intact.
The contest resulted
in a tie when two bridges withstood 100 pounds evenly distributed
and then 120 pounds point loaded. Point loading refers to the
spot that engineers deem the most critical or vulnerable on a
bridge -- typically mid-span. "Any toothpick bridge that
can withstand over 100 pounds is very impressive," said
Wilkens. "We saw some extremely well designed and well built
bridges from these students. Every single one of them should
be very proud."
The Winners
- Co-winner
Alaina Hicks from Pierce Elementary School
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- Co-winner
Jacob Dully from Lincoln Elementary School
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The two winners
were Alaina Hicks from Pierce Elementary School and Jacob Dully
from Lincoln Elementary School. "Consider that a toothpick
weighs less than one ounce and that the total weight of each
bridge was less than a pound," said Engineering Manager
Kar Singh. "Yet a few of these bridges were able to withstand
over a hundred pounds. This provides a good lesson in how we
incorporate basic laws of physics when designing real structures."
BCEO engineers had spoken to the Gifted class about bridge engineering
and roadway construction in April and coordinated with the teacher,
Ms. Lindsay Boatright, to develop a bridge building competition.
"We wanted the
students to get a true feel for what goes into the physics of
designing and building a bridge," Singh noted. "They
spent the past month working on their toothpick bridges and we
invited them to our Office to determine which bridges were the
strongest. It was a lot of fun and I think the kids learned a
lot."
Before the contest,
students received a tour of the Engineer's Office, experiencing
real engineers performing real design, and they saw actual bridge
beams that were built by BCEO crews. "There are many components
of a bridge and this allowed the students to experience everything
firsthand," Singh said.
Boatright added "What
a fine example of a public agency partnering with the public
schools for the sake of educating our children. I truly appreciate
all the effort and time that the BCEO staff have put into this
school project. The students were so excited to work with real
bridge engineers and the chance to build and test their own bridges."
- Click on images
to enlarge.
- BCEO's Kar
Singh places weight on bridge.
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- So far so
good.
.. ..........................
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- Should we
put another on? .
.........
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- Toothpicks
holding 100 pounds of weights...a study in physics and good ol'
glue.
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- BCEO engineers
point load a span on this bridge.
- ..............................
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- Co-winner
Alaina Hicks watches carefully as engineers continue to point
load her bridge.
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- County Engineer
Greg Wilkens talks to the students about their projects.
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- Students await
to have their bridges tested.
- ........
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- One of 15
students and their bridges. ........................................
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- Another bridge..
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- And another.
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- And another.
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- And another. ......................................
.............. ...... ...............................
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- And another. ......................................
.............. ...... ...............................
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- Singh tours
students around the BCEO grounds where they have the opportunity
to view actual bridge beams.
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- Students get
a closeup view
- of the BCEO's
salt storage
- dome. .........................................
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- Students were
able to check
- out some of
the BCEO's construction equipment. ................................
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- Students,
teachers, and BCEO personnel pose for a group shot in front of
a snow plow.
..... ..........
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- # # #
For more information
contact:
Chris
Petrocy, BCEO Public Information Supervisor
Greg Wilkens, P.E., P.S.,
Butler County Engineer
Phone 513.867.5744 • Fax 513.867.5849
