Simple Bridge Experiment

Plank Bridge

Today we challenged ourselves to make simple bridges using only 1 sheet of A4 paper. We talked about our previous experiment and decided triangles and cylinders were the way to go. We constructed a plain "plank" style bridge, a "corrugated" bridge (triangles), and a bridge using cylinders. We used Duplo to make the span for the bridges to cross.

The bridges were so strong that we didn't have enough weights to test them with so we used wooden blocks as well as regular weights, we found out how much a block weighed using kitchen scales.

Constructing a cylinder bridge

Construction in progress

Construction of the corrugated bridge

R demonstrates how people walk across

Testing the corrugated bridge

Tested to destruction

Here's our results;

• Plank bridge 50g
• Cylinder bridge 640g
• Corrugated bridge 1015g

Conclusion - triangles are strong shapes to use in bridge building.

We also watched a documentary about the construction of the worlds largest bridge in Japan - they used lots of triangles too.