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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Please continue to check this page for answers to new questions teachers or students have regarding the competition or guidelines.
- Your question and answer will be listed here for others to view.
GENERAL COMPETITION QUESTIONS
Q: Will middle school teams compete against high school teams?
A: No. We will have separate competitions for middle schools and high schools. Middle school teams will compete against each other and high school teams will compete against each other.
Q: Can teachers or schools enter more than one model bridge?
A: No. We will accept one model bridge entry per school.
Q: Can individual students enter the competition?
A: The competition is designed to encourage students to work in teams with the teachers acting as facilitators. Therefore, the department strongly encourages teams of at least two students with one or more teachers as facilitators. If it is impossible for a school to develop such a team, then a student with a teacher as a facilitator will be allowed to enter the competition.
Q: Are you offering the competition next year?
A: Yes, the competition is an annual event.
GUIDELINE QUESTIONS
Q: Your guidelines specify "no element wider nor deeper than 0.25 inches." Does that specification include joints? (Ex. You have two 0.25" x 0.25" balsa wood pieces that cross over each other, making the joint 0.5" - would that be legal? Or, would we need to use 0.25" x 0.125" balsa wood strips to make something like that?
A: The 0.25" x 0.25" size requirement does not apply at joint intersections. However, the intersection cannot exceed the size of two individual members. This is only allowed at the joint areas.
Q: I would like to put spacers between two pieces of balsa wood, with the measurement of the entire member (balsa wood pieces and spacers) exceeding 0.25". Would the spacers be ruled as joints, making my bridge legal?
A: The spacers will be counted as individual members. Each individual member cannot exceed 0.25" as outlined in the guidelines.
Q: The guidelines say commercially available balsa… does this, therefore, eliminate the basswood kits that are often used in physics labs?
A: Basswood may not be used, only balsa wood may be used for the competition.
Q: Are gusset plates allowed at joint connections?
A: Yes, one per joint is allowed. However, the plate thickness cannot exceed 0.25" and 1 square inch in area.
Q: What type of glue can be used? Our class was wondering if adhesives such as rubber cement, liquid nail or epoxy styrene resin were allowed, or does the label have to say glue for it to be considered glue?
A: The label does not have to say glue for it to be considered glue. If it is an adhesive that can be used to bond two pieces of wood together, it will be acceptable. Any type of glue can be used.
DESIGN/PRODUCT QUESTIONS
Q: Is a ten pound container used as a basis for the weight held up to be 20 kg?
A: A ten-pound weight will not be used. Only the bucket and sand will be used.
Q: May we paint our bridge? May we use wood laminate?
A: Painting is not allowed, since it could provide some structural benefit. Laminated members are not allowed.
Q: Can we notch the wood?
A: Yes, the wood can be notched.
REPORT QUESTIONS
Q: Can PowerPoint be used in the presentation?
A: Yes, Powerpoint may be used to support your presentation but it is not required to be a part of your presentation. Please note that Powerpoint may ONLY be used at the Bridge Building Competition Finals. Any powerpoint slides supporting your presentation must be done in PowerPoint from Microsoft Office 2003. Please send your Powerpoint Presentation slides to the NCDOT's Construction Unit along with the 4 copies of drawings and reports by the specified date. Remember, the total presentation may not exceed 10 minutes including setup and breakdown.
Q: For the two-page report, do you want a bibliography? Also, are footnotes required?
A: No, since this was not specified in the competition guidelines, the inclusion or exclusion of a bibliography and footnotes is up to the individual teacher. It will not be a part of the judging requirements.
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