Bridge Building Homework - Help a Year 10 Student Win the Engineering Challenge!

[abccheung]

Homework Statement

Hey guys!

I am a year 10 student from Australia and our school is having an Engineering Challnege.

One of the tasks is to build a 80cm bridge using only paddle pop sticks and PVA glue. To win, the bridge must hold the most weight but have least mass.

It would be really appreciated if you could suggest any designs, tips, software for designs or anything about bridge building.

Care to give me a hand?

Homework Equations

?Maybe Young's Modulus?

The Attempt at a Solution

One of my initial ideas was to basically build a box cause last year the winnng entry was literaly like a rectanglur box

 

[mgb_phys]

Look up 'Trusses' - there have been hundreds designed and the properties of steel and pop sticks aren't too different at small sizes.