10,000 Toothpick Model of a Bridge What Do You Think?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers around a bridge model constructed from 10,000 toothpicks, weighing 1306.15 grams and spanning 1.16 meters. Initially, a 1,000 toothpick bridge was built in 8th grade, which held 54 pounds before breaking. The current model, designed to hold a weight of 70 pounds, successfully supported the creator's sister without failure. The construction process involved innovative techniques such as using a bent ruler to create arcs and opting for wood glue for enhanced stability.

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  • Understanding of basic engineering principles
  • Familiarity with structural design concepts
  • Knowledge of materials science, specifically adhesive properties
  • Experience with project planning and execution
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This discussion is beneficial for engineering students, hobbyists in model building, educators in STEM fields, and anyone interested in practical applications of structural design principles.

The Maker
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I hope that you enjoy my new video! Here is the description:
This is "10,000 Toothpick Model of a Bridge"

Specs

Weight: 1306.15 g
Height: 0.149 m
Length: 1.38 m
Span: 1.16 m
Width Of Foot: 0.195 m
Width Of Roadbed: 0.0615 mI built it in the 8th grade. A project in math class was to build a 1,000 toothpick bridge over a one foot span. My group's bridge held 54 pounds before breaking. The current bridge was planned to span to span 5ft. It fell a little short, but the actual span can be found above in the specs. I had my little sister, who was 70 pounds at the time, stand on the bridge, and it held her weight. She was 70 pounds. I do not want to test it any further! I do not care if it could hold a car and then break, I do not want a broken bridge. It took me about 2 months to complete it (December 2014 - January 2015). The original arc shape was the hardest to get right. I thought about making a huge compass, but that was impractical. I decided to bend a ruler and trace to the formed arc. This turned out to be a very elegant solution. I made toothpick squares and laid them out on the arc on graph paper. From there I built it layer by layer. It slowly formed a solid triangle. I used wood glue instead of hot glue in this project. This was a very good choice.
 
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Very impressive ! :) :)
 
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Very cool!
 
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Charles Link said:
Very impressive ! :) :)
DennisN said:
Very cool!
Thank you both!
 
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