Bristol Consolidated School Tower Design Challenge: Students Soar to New Heights in Engineering Triumph
For over a decade, Bristol Consolidated School has kicked off the academic year with ambitious science and engineering projects, pushing the boundaries of students' creativity and problem-solving skills. This year, the spotlight was on the Tower Design Challenge, an endeavor that proved to be not only educational but a testament to the students' ingenuity.
The challenge, undertaken by students, involved designing and constructing a tower using only wood glue and 2mm thick wood sticks. The task was no simple feat: the tower had to reach a minimum height of 35 cm, span a 20 cm gap, and demonstrate the highest strength-to-weight ratio possible.
To prepare for the project, students delved into the world of structural design by studying various towers in their local area. From radio and microwave towers to electrical transmission towers and construction cranes, each structure served as inspiration for the budding engineers. Detailed drawings and prototypes paved the way for the creation of 1:1 scale blueprints from which the actual towers were built.
As the students embarked on the construction phase, they grappled with the fundamental principles of structural engineering. Forces such as compression, tension, bending, shear, and torsion became the guiding factors in their design choices. Through experimentation, the students discovered that triangles, rather than parallelograms, provided superior stability and support.
The Tower Design Challenge also found a surprising connection with the ongoing school construction project. Students witnessed firsthand the prevalence of triangles in the building trusses, reinforcing the practical applications of their classroom lessons.
After weeks of research, design, and construction, the true test awaited the students: evaluating the strength of their towers. The method involved hanging a 5-gallon bucket from the tower and filling it with weights, with a capacity of up to 20 kilograms. The results defied expectations from the very start.
The inaugural tower, which had previously supported a Rapunzel Halloween pumpkin, exceeded the bucket's capacity, necessitating improvised testing with additional weights. Subsequent towers showcased remarkable strength, with one fragile-looking structure, weighing a mere 22 grams, supporting an impressive 23 kilograms.
The pinnacle of success came on the second day of testing when a seemingly delicate tower, weighing only 21 grams, defied all expectations. This tower not only held an astonishing 46 kilograms, equivalent to over 100 pounds, but did so without breaking. Testing was halted after 20 minutes, not due to structural failure, but because there were no more weights left to add.
"I never expected results that good," exclaimed Kevin Crafts, the project overseer. "We still have a model tower that exceeded all expectations and can be studied by future students for years to come."
The Tower Design Challenge at Bristol Consolidated School not only showcased the students' engineering prowess but left an indelible mark on the school's scientific legacy. As these young minds continue to reach new heights, it is clear that the future of innovation is in good hands at Bristol Consolidated School.