Bridge Building Workshop
Learn bridge engineering in classrooms
This workshop contains hands-on practical work to understand concepts in bridge engineering. It's one of our most popular workshops and covers various bridges, such as arch, beam, cantilever, suspension, and truss bridges. Students will also learn how load transfers occur in bridges and how to design a stable bridge.
Format
We can deliver sessions in parallel.
1 instructor can deliver the following in a full day:
Primary: 3 sessions x 1 hr 30 mins
(30 students per session)
Secondary+: 5 sessions x 1 hr
(20 students per session)
Contact us for larger events.
Age Group
All Year Groups
Paper Bridges
We will start the day with a demonstration to paper bridges. Students will learn how to design a strong paper bridge.
Bridge Models
Students will be challenged to design a bridge using modelling parts to meets a given specification. They will have to produce calculations and use problem solving skills to complete the task.
Truss Bridges
Students will learn how adding trusses to bridges can make them stronger with our models.
Typical Workshop Day*
- Demo - We will start the day with a short demonstration to paper bridges. Students will learn how folding a paper can increase it's stiffness and ability to hold a heavier weight.
- We will briefly cover 7 different types of bridges (such as arch, beam and cantilever bridges) that exist in the real-world. Additionally, we will discuss how load transfer occusrs in some of these bridges.
- Practical and Demo - We will handout bridge modelling parts to students and build a basic Truss bridge. They will learn how trusses make a bridge stronger in the real world by observing load transfer with weights.
- Practical - Higher learners will be challenged to build their own bridge that meets a given specific engineering specification. Students may have to complete calculations as part of the building process. We will then test each of the bridges built by students.
Usually, we will reset the session and repeat it for more groups of children on the same day. On occasions, we will end the day with a street-dance performance.
* The activities may vary on the day depending on the length of the workshops and the age and ability of the students.
Gallery
Testimonials
My favourite workshop.
The speaker was very enthusiastic and was able to answer loads of questions.
It was fun and engaging.
I like the problem solving aspect of this.
Students, Seaford College
Did you know we have many other science and engineering workshops?
Check our other science workshops covering a range of topics such as sustainability, renewable energy, solar system, basic robotics, coding, and more here.