News Release Archive

44th Annual Colorado State High School Bridge Building Competition puts Model Bridges to the Test

Media Contact: Lauren Meredith, 303-445-2945, lmeredith@usbr.gov
Peter Soeth, 303-445-3615, psoeth@usbr.gov

For Release: February 26, 2011

Students from across Colorado showcased their engineering and design skills at the 2010 Colorado High School Bridge Building Competition held at the Bureau of Reclamation's hydraulic and materials laboratories in Lakewood.

In Region 1, Kayla Wiggin, a student at Cherry Creek High School, won with a 29.81 gram basswood bridge that held 39.38 kilograms. That is 1321 times its own weight.

Other students in Region 1 who placed are: Second, Joe Stanek of Mullen High School; Third, Alex Gillett of Cherry Creek High School; Fourth, Aaron Bugh of Cherry Creek High School; and Fifth, Joshua Nelson of Lakewood High School.

In Region 2, Benjamin Motaei, a student at Cheyenne Mountain High School, took first with a 25.54 gram basswood bridge that held 96.09 kilograms. That is 3762 times its own weight.

Other students in Region 2 who placed are: Second, Joseph Vigil of Pueblo East High School; Third, Tim Jancik of Cheyenne Mountain High School; Fourth, Jeff Coombs of Rifle High School; and Fifth, Max Vanatta of Cheyenne Mountain High School.

In the team competition from Region 1, Cherry Creek High School finished first with their three bridges that held more than 3300 times their own weight. Other teams from Region 1 are: Second, Lakewood High School; Third, Fort Morgan High School; and Fourth, CEC Middle College.

In the team competition from Region 2, Cheyenne Mountain High School finished first with their three bridges that held more than 8000 times their own weight. Other teams from Region 2 that placed are: Second, Rifle High School; Third, Buena Vista High School; Fourth, Pueblo East High School; and Fifth, Rampart High School.

The Bridges are made of only basswood and glue. The winning models were determined by the structural efficiency ratio, which is the maximum load divided by the weight of the bridge.

The state is divided into two regions, northern (Region 1) and southern (Region 2), with winners determined from each region. The first and second place winners from each region will be invited to compete in the international competition to be held on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

The contest is jointly sponsored by the Professional Engineers of Colorado, the American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado and the Bureau of Reclamation.

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