Build ‘Em and Bust ‘Em Bridge Building Competition to be held Saturday

Build ‘Em and Bust ‘Em Bridge Building Competition to be held SaturdayNovember 17, 2006SU News ServicesSUnews@syr.edu

On Saturday, Nov. 18, the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) will host the annual Build ‘Em and Bust ‘Em Bridge Building Competition for local elementary, middle and high school students. This free event will start at 8:30 a.m. and continue until 1 p.m.

Teams of students in grades 4-12 will test their engineering skills by building wooden bridges according to competition guidelines. High school students are also invited to build a crane.

In the weeks leading up to the competition, teams have built and tested their bridges for strength and durability. On the day of the event, faculty, staff and students from the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (LCS), MOST sponsors and others will weigh and test the bridges. Prizes will be awarded in three categories. The MOST has provided the materials, and the students have provided the design and ingenuity.

This year’s competition is coordinated by the MOST under the direction of Peter Plumley, research associate professor in LCS, the Technology Alliance of Central New York and Lockheed Martin Corp.