Toothpick Bridges

[pAiNtHeAsS]

We're making toothpick bridges with only toothpicks and white elmer's glue in class. A boat 5 cm. high has to be able to go under it and a truck 4 cm. by 4 cm. bust be able to drive across the bridge. Any tips on which bridge design can hold a lot of weight and doesn't weight too much itself?

 

[baron insig]

Triangles!

use triangles they spread the weight!
ill draw u a design

gimem 10 mins

 

[baron insig]

ere u go

http://img164.exs.cx/img164/3200/hl2net11rv.jpg

http://img164.exs.cx/img164/5549/hl2net27ib.jpg

edit: Can anyone wanan give the guy improvments and me improvements if i ever have this challenge

 

[lePobz]

Indeed, triangular structures can take the most weight, but you have to make sure your joins are strong too. One bad join in the triangle makes the whole thing weak.

Search for a program called Pontifex 2 (or Pontifex II) - it'll help you test out different designs.

Get the demo from here

 

[xLostx]

I made a bridge made out of popsicle sticks in grade 11 for a province wide competition. I was forced to because my chem teacher made the entire class make one...funny thing was that my bridge came in fourth which I thought was funny because I thought it sucked

 

[Solaris]

Use tetraheadrons, I did a course on them.
There a triangular pirimad, but are the best shape for what your trying to do.

 

[baron insig]

http://www.mathconsult.ch/showroom/unipoly/01.256.gif

yeah he right: 3 points for wait to be distributed instead of 2

tho f u look at ma doodled u will see the incorporation of them kinda in my stands

But yeah modify the stands to use tetrahedrons and uhm not sure how your gong to get the actuall dridge to stay rigid if u have no limit of tooth picks just glue a block together

 

[lePobz]

Could I just ask you something...

What's your policy on plagarism?

Design 2
Design 3
Design 4
Design 5

You should be seeing a pattern emerging from these winners. Just copy it :thumbs:

 

[Dan]

I'd say your best bet would be to put a box of toothpicks into the blender and shred them into a lot of splinters and mix that with glue and then reshape the mixture into a kind of fiberwood that will be much more useful for making a bridge.

 

[lePobz]

I'd say your best bet would be to put a box of toothpicks into the blender and shred them into a lot of splinters and mix that with glue and then reshape the mixture into a kind of fiberwood that will be much more useful for making a bridge.

I think toothpicks are already solid and strong as they are ... if you made them into fibreboard you would need considerably more weight per beam (which is bad since the lightest most efficient bridge wins) ... but if weight wasnt an option, that would be one hell of a unique idea :thumbs:

 

[Lemonking]

I think toothpicks are already solid and strong as they are ... if you made them into fibreboard you would need considerably more weight per beam (which is bad since the lightest most efficient bridge wins) ... but if weight wasnt an option, that would be one hell of a unique idea :thumbs:

dude I cant stop starring at ur Avatar nowthat it is blue its even more catchy :bounce: :cheese:

 

[Deemo]

http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/

download the bridge designer and have fun

i use that for my enginnering class

 

[pAiNtHeAsS]

Oh wow, thanks for all the info. So trianges are best. Which kind though? /|\|/|\|/|\|/|\ or just /\/\/\/\/\/\ ?

 

[Hazar]

is there any limit to the # of toothpicks you can use?

 

[LittleB]

Man this looks cool... I gotta try this

 

[pAiNtHeAsS]

is there any limit to the # of toothpicks you can use?

No no, no limits.

I am currently soaking the toothpicks in water to make them more flexible.

Also, which are better: round toothpicks or flat ones?

 

[Dan]

How is the bridge attached on the sides? Does it have to sit on a flat table and arc over, it is it set across a gap?

 

[pAiNtHeAsS]

I think the handout can explain it better than me, if you can read it.

 

[Farrowlesparrow]

I might try making this, just for the fun of it...

Then I'l burn it Seems like it should be pretty easy if you ask me.

If all your toothpicks were uniform, then round ones could work as well, but since thats going to be difficult by hand, I'd suggest leaving them straight.

 

[Hazar]

glue as many toothpicks together as you can. Just have this big blob of them

 

[Feath]

This bridge program thingy is rather fun. I've made the safest bridge in the world ever.