The NCDOT Statewide Model Bridge Building Competition is open to middle and high school students in North Carolina only.

Teachers…

We recognize the continuous need to excite students about education, particularly in the areas of math and science. What better way to learn than to turn on the competitiveness that is inherent in all of us? This engaging competition consists of the research, design and construction of a model truss bridge.

Teachers may choose to use this competition as a classroom project or select various students within the school to work on the project as a team. Another possibility is to develop several teams to compete in a school-wide competition and select one overall team who will go on to represent the school at the regional competition. However, we will only accept one model bridge entry per school.

The competition encourages a team-based approach with classroom teachers as facilitators, providing the technical advice necessary for students to create their bridge design. Also, this project is a great opportunity for a civil engineer or transportation professional to visit your classroom to discuss a career related topic of your choice.

The NCDOT Statewide Model Bridge Building Competition takes model bridge building to a higher level by requiring students to research and document their design and to orally present their project to a panel of judges. These extra judging requirements are included to attract the non-technical students who may leave with an appreciation for and an understanding of the technical fields.

Through This Competition Students Will:

• Expand their vocabulary of geometry, bridges and construction.
• Apply bridge vocabulary in the completion of a paper on the history and reasoning of bridge construction.
• Practice Design interpretation by building a bridge, to meet specific criteria, based upon our guidelines.
• Inspect their bridge through logical reasoning to determine if their bridge model will meet the criteria pertinent to the project.
• Test their bridge to determine if the bridge meets the criteria of the guidelines.
• Develop marketing and presentation skills for selling their bridge design to the public.
• Make an oral presentation to the competition judges.