BRIDGES

This page is designed to provide ideas for students building bridges in my middle-school enrichment program.

K'Nex Bridges

Click on the pictures for links to the information. 

Flat toothpicks in 4 Catenary arches. 

A 20th century design based on geodesic triangles tied together.

Help pages list design types and construction techniques.

Bridge pictures, design ideas, and a virtual bridge tool.

PBS Building Big was a 5-part miniseries about large structures including bridges. This is their information website.

Virtual Bridge Design Tool

Mr. Lewis' students' plans and pictures.

An online java tool that lets you test your truss' strength.

A civil engineering outreach site for those interested in bridges. This is the kids' page.

Links from 42explore.com

Bridge Building from PBS's Nova Online

From the Nova Super Bridge program.

Bridge Construction (Grades 5-12) Society of Women Engineers

Students build a model of a bridge and test the amount of weight it will support.

Bridges Unit (Grade 8) by A. Warner North Attleborough Public School

of their project and to conceptualize how their completed project will look before having built it.

Building Model Bridges Following the Engineering Process (Grades 5-8) by J. Lewis fromYale-New Haven Teachers Institute

The curriculum unit will be divided into three major sections. The first section will introduce students to the three major types of bridges, second section will discuss the engineering process in bridge design, and the final section introduce one type of bridge building contest.

Pre-Engineering Software Corporation

Pre-Engineering Software Corporation develops and publishes teaching tools for middle and high school that introduce students to the adventure of solving true-life engineering problems while reinforcing their math and science skills.

Toothpick Bridges and Other Structure: American Society of Mechanical Engineeers      

           Bridges have been an essential part of transportation for hundreds of years, and it is the job of civil engineers to design the safest, most durable bridges possible. This site provides a differentiated lesson plan for investigating bridges.