The CIV102 bridge contest is a cherished EngSci tradition that challenges first-year students to apply their civil engineering fundamentals to build the strongest possible box girder bridge using matboard and contact cement.
Our design process began with writing MATLAB code to produce Bending Moment and Shear Force diagrams for the first iteration of our box girder. We then verified the functionality of our code with hand calculations. Drawing on our CIV102 knowledge, we carefully selected the parameters to vary for each iteration and assessed the effectiveness of each design based on the changes in Factors of Safety associated with each mode of failure.
To construct the bridge, we used an online tool called Opticutter to determine how to cut the matboard into pieces of the required dimensions. We then meticulously constructed the bridge using an exacto knife and contact cement, allowing the glue to rest for three days before testing.
My team won the bridge contest, our bridge successfully supported over 1000 N, the highest among 100+ competing teams.
Overall, the CIV102 bridge project was an incredible learning experience that allowed us to apply our engineering knowledge in a practical and rewarding way. Check out our report for this project.