C.T. Male Associates has had the privilege of supporting the Capital District Engineers Week Model Bridge Building Competition more closely for the past few years, but this year’s competition is the 43rd anniversary for the high school students and the 5th anniversary for the similar Model Catwalk version for middle school students. This competition provides students from local schools with a hands-on opportunity to explore engineering concepts in a fun and engaging way. The competition invites students to put their creativity, problem-solving skills, and building abilities to the test through friendly competition.
While some schools incorporate the project into their curriculum, the competition is open to any students who wish to participate. Students receive a set of guidelines and design constraints, including specific material requirements (balsa wood and glue), mirroring real-world engineering challenges and encouraging thoughtful, efficient design.
Once the bridges are completed and delivered to C.T. Male’s office, a handful of volunteers (i.e., engineers from local businesses and other agencies) qualify the bridges for compliance with the design criteria, place them into a calibrated machine and load them to failure. While only a select few witness their designs being tested live, everything is videotaped for later broadcasting to all participating students, which Included approximately 230 students this year. This year’s testing event was held at Hudson Valley Community College where students were invited to witness their creations being tested. Seeing their bridges evaluated under real load conditions gives students a tangible understanding of structural performance and reinforces the connection between design decisions and outcomes.
Bridges are judged based on efficiency, load capacity, and aesthetics. Cash prizes are awarded to students earning first-, second-, and third-place finishes in each category. Additional awards are given to schools whose students achieve the highest average efficiency and load capacity per participant. Winners are announced at the end of the video broadcast, where teachers also take part in the fun by attempting to build bridges of their own to see how they measure up to the students before the student winners are revealed.
Each year, it is inspiring to see students’ creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities on full display as they strive to design the strongest, most efficient, and most visually compelling bridges. The competition continues to be a meaningful way to introduce students to engineering, spark curiosity, and encourage the next generation of problem solvers. The Model Bridge Competition would not be a success without the leadership of Tim Schroder, PE, from Enginuity Engineering & Design, PLLC, along with the support and participation of C.T. Male Associates and fellow engineers working together to foster curiosity and advance students’ interest in engineering.