2021 ASCE Ohio Valley Student Conference

2021 ASCE Ohio Valley Student Conference
Balsa Wood Bridge Competition
April 8, 2021

Overview:

Teams will compete to construct a bridge from Balsa Wood. This competition is meant to test the
skill of the team, and their efficiency under time as well as dimension constraints. All bridges
will be loaded until failure to test the overall strength of each bridge. The design aspect of the
bridge will also be included in the overall score. The host school will provide the balsa wood and
the loading block, and will be sent prior to the conference to each participating school. All other
materials needed are each team’s responsibility.

Teams will need to submit a recording of them measuring and showing the dimensions of the
bridge that are listed below in “Bridge Dimensions”. This recording will also show teams placing
the loading block on the bridge and applying each load as stated under the “Loading” section.
The max weight held should be clearly shown in the video recording.

Each team will also need to submit a short, one page report detailing the design and construction
of the bridge. This report should include why the bridge design was chosen and describe the
major steps in the construction process.

Teams:

Each school can have one team, and only one bridge will be scored. Each school can build as
many bridges as they like to test various designs, but only one final bridge will be submitted for
scoring. There is no maximum number of people allowed for building the bridge, however only
two people are allowed to be present for testing. Each team should follow their schools’ safety
guidelines, and must follow any meeting capacity restrictions when designing, building & testing
the bridge.

Competition Schedule:

The Balsa Wood Bridge competition will take place asynchronously at the 2021 ASCE Ohio
Valley Student Conference. Each school will be building the bridge at their home campus and
meeting according to their operating procedures. The construction of the bridge and judging will
not be live, but will rely on video recording of the testing process.

The video recording, any photos of the bridge, and the finalized report will need to be submitted
by Wednesday, April 7th, 2021 at 1 p.m. to pittsburghasce@gmail.com .

Judges will review these recordings individually prior to the awards ceremony. Results will be
announced at the awards ceremony, with full results being made available to all schools at the
conclusion of the conference.

Materials:

Materials listed here will be provided to each of the competing schools via mail. You are
required to use the wood provided by the University of Pittsburgh for the final bridge. Failure to
use provided wood for the final competition will result in disqualification.

   ● 20 – 1/8” x 1/8” x 36” Balsa Wood pieces
   ● 1 Loading Block
In addition to the material provided, you are permitted to use any knives or glue you choose.
Other than the materials provided and your choice of knives and glue, no other materials are
permitted in the construction of the bridge.

Construction:

There is no time constraint for the construction of the bridge. Construction can start as soon as
teams receive the materials from the host school. Only materials listed above by the host school
(University of Pittsburgh) may be used for bridge construction. The bridge may not be coated or
laminated in paint, glue, etc. Only rulers, paper & writing utensils (pencils, pens, etc.) may be
brought by the teams for measuring and designing purposes only. All bridges will comply with

the required dimensions under “Bridge Dimensions” section. Any bridges that do not meet these
dimension requirements will be disqualified from the competition.

Bridge Dimensions:

The constructed bridge must be able to span a gap of 12 inches, with a max length of 15 inches.
The max height of the bridge is 5 inches. There are no limitations on width, however the bridge
must support the loading block. The bridge cannot exceed a mass of 75 grams. The bridge will
be loaded in the top middle, by a block that is attached to a bucket. See diagram below:

                                        **not drawn to scale

Loading:

The bridge must accommodate the 7.5” (long) x 2” (wide) x ¾” (thick) loading block. The
loading block thickness is subject to change, but the University of Pittsburgh will make you
aware of any changes. The bridge must have a 1” (diameter) hole through the center (green line)
to allow the cable and hook to be attached to the loading block. This loading block will be placed
at the top middle of the bridge. The loading block will be placed onto the bridge and slowly
apply loads until a final strength is determined. The bridge will be loaded until failure (Failure is
defined as the inability to hold any additional load such as bridge collapses or the bucket touches
the ground).

You will connect the bucket onto the S-hook and load the bucket from there.

Video Recording:

For the loading procedure, the entire video file must be filmed in one continuous run. The
recording should begin with holding the bridge up to the camera, with the full bridge in frame.
The bridge should be slowly rotated to show all angles of the bridge. Following this, a ruler
should be held up to the bridge to verify the height, length, and width dimensions of the bridge.
Teams must also record the weight of their bridge on a scale and show the weighing on camera.
Then begin the loading process, with the entire bridge visible, as well as the entire loading
apparatus. First hold a ruler up to the span to verify the correct distance between the two
supportive surfaces that the bridge is placed on. A span can be created by using any two solid
surfaces that elevate the bridge enough so that the loading bucket does not touch the ground
during testing. The loading block and bucket must then be loaded onto the top center of the
bridge. Teams may then start loading sand, soil, or gravel into the loading bucket. Teams can
continue to load until failure of the bridge occurs, or the bucket is no longer elevated above the
ground. After failure, teams must remove the bucket from the loading block, weigh the bucket on
a scale, and show the final weight held on video.

Judging:

Judges for the Balsa Wood competition are appointed by the host school (University of
Pittsburgh). Judges will make the final determination on compliance with the rules outlined in
this handout and penalties for the rule violations. Judges also must make interpretations of the
rules in the scenario that questions arise. The decision of the judges will be final, and no appeals
will be considered. Judges will evaluate the bridges on innovation and aesthetics prior to the load
test of the bridge.

Awards:

Teams will be ranked in order of best Overall Score. Overall Score is based by summing the
Design Score and Strength Score. Design Score is based on the judges’ view of best engineering
practices on the final bridge product. Strength Score is based on a ratio of bridge weight to
breaking load.

Safety Guidelines:

   ● Always follow all of your home school’s guidelines.
   ● Ensure that any meetings in person adhere to all COVID-19 School, Local, State, and
      National Guidelines.
   ● Everyone must wear a mask, gloves, and be socially distanced at least 6 feet at all times.
   ● If you are sick, and or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms you are not allowed to
      participate in any in person meetings, even if masks, gloves, and social distance is
      present.
   ● Individuals are responsible for mitigating COVID-19 spread. The University of
      Pittsburgh is not liable in the case of a COVID-19 incident due to meeting in person for
      any competition related to the Ohio Valley Student Conference.
   ● Always cover knives when not in use and do not run with knives.
   ● Don’t ingest or inhale any glue into your body.
   ● Please remain smart while dealing with chemicals and sharp objects.
   ● Wear safety glasses when working with potentially hazardous materials.