By David Fleet
Editor
Some BHS students are building a foundation for the future.
Twenty-eight teams of BHS ninth and 10th grade students will compete in the Michigan Department of Transportation Bridge Challenge in Grand Rapids on May 1 challenging teams statewide.
The three-member teams design and build cable stayed bridges. The bridge has one or more towers, from which cables support the deck. This project tests their ability to work as a team, their attention to detail, their time management skills, and their problem solving skills. To qualify for the competition, teams are required to prepare a written bridge proposal and a bridge design, using Michigan Department of Transportation drafting software. The students have been working on the project since last October.
“This is one of our favorite projects,” said Pauline Bandlow, BHS STEM Technology and Engineering coordinator. “Our freshmen not only make great strides as individuals, they also develop life long friendships and professional skills.”
Half of their score was determined by their bridge model performance. MDOT engineers inspect the bridges for compliance to design criteria and then weigh and strength test them. Their strength to weight ratios will be calculated and compared to other competitors. The other portion of their score was based on a 7-10 minute oral presentation, again to MDOT engineers. In this presentation, teams must share their overall experience including their research, engineering design process application, and their design, construction, and teamwork challenges.
The MDOT Bridge Challenge is in its 17th year. It is a part of MDOT’s Transportation and Civil Engineering (TRAC) Program, a hands-on educational program designed for integration into science, math, and engineering classes. Brandon STEM students have entered this competition every year since the STEM program began in the 2010-2011 school year.
The team is coached by Pauline Bandlow, Lesley Hildebrand, Jamey Logan and Mark Tabar from Brandon High School.