The Troitsky Bridge Building Competition serves as an annual display of innovation and creativity for civil engineering students. The annual competition, hosted at Montreal’s Concordia University, remains unique in that it limits its construction materials to wooden popsicle sticks, white all-purpose glue, wooden toothpicks, and dental floss.
This year, 37 teams from across the country came together on March 3-5 to assemble their original designs. A total of six teams from Carleton travelled to take part in the weekend affair – eager to prove that they would not snap under the pressure and be left holding the short end of the stick.
While sections of the bridges are permitted to be built in advance, each team must assemble their design within a two hour period on the day of the competition. All teams had to adhere to strict design regulations, including a specific width to height ratio that could not be surpassed.
Bridge durability was then tested by a special crushing machine that applies pressure to the structures. Points were also awarded across a number of categories, including aesthetics and originality of design, ultimate load carrying capacity, structural efficiency, and presentation.
Despite a few splinters, Carleton was named the recipient of the Team Spirit Award. In addition, Donny Jackson, a member of Carleton’s Admiral Team, received a special award for Outstanding Contributions to Troitsky.
