Are you up to the challenge of designing a bridge?
Can your design resist an earthquake?

Undergraduate student teams are encouraged to participate in a new bridge design competition that will take place during the 7th National Seismic Conference (7NSC) on Bridges and Highways, Oakland, CA, May 20-22, 2013.

This dynamic competition will emphasize the seismic design of a bridge – so it can resist shaking from an earthquake simulating shaking table during the competition! The competition is intended for undergraduate engineering students teams from four and two year colleges.

What is the design challenge? Design and construct a bridge as part of a new highway system to enhance the transportation network in the San Francisco Bay Area. The objective is to design the safest bridge model with KNEX using the least amount of material possible and constructed in the minimum time. The new bridge is an essential element of the lifeline system used to assist the Bay Area in the event of an earthquake. For this reason, the bridge must withstand a combination of static and earthquake loads with minimal damage. In addition, the bridge should be constructed in the minimum time possible to reduce costs and disruption to the Bay Area population.

A full set of rules and registration information for teams can be found at: http://nees.org/7nscbridgedesignhome

More details about the conference, can be found at: http://www.7nsc.info/