Upper School Students Study Structural Engineering

Over the past few weeks, Upper School students in the Engineering 1 class have been engaged in a unit on Structural Engineering, where they have been examining the physical forces behind everyday structures. They have discussed and examined the science behind numerous bridge types, including Roman-style stone arches and suspension structures like the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

Currently, the students are working in teams to create scaled down prototypes of these bridges, using materials and technologies of their own choosing, whether wood-working power tools, 3-D printers or hot glue guns. The purpose of the activity is to give students a hands-on experience with the forces behind bridge structures and to allow them an opportunity to plan their own construction projects from start to finish. At the end of the building process, groups will present and demonstrate their models to the rest of the class.