Since 2000, the N.C. Department of Transportation – in partnership with Carolinas Associated General Contractors and the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina – has hosted the statewide Model Bridge Building Competition to encourage students to develop the math and science skills that are used in transportation, construction and engineering careers.
This year’s contest, NCDOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary of the Model Bridge Building Competition.
Entry Details
All entries will be accepted until March 3, 2025.
Enter Now
Working in teams, students look at methods of brainstorming and researching ideas as well as designing and building a model truss bridge. Students present their model bridges to a panel of judges and are scored based on a written report, oral presentation, a design drawing, and the bridge's structural efficiency.
Student objectives include:
- Encouraging active involvement in constructing and applying mathematical ideas
- Stimulating effective questioning techniques that promote interaction
- Providing a tool for visualizing structural behavior
- Expanding problem-solving skills
- Learning to work as a team
- Applying research and presentation skills
- Demonstrating practical application of math and science skills
- Enhancing oral and written communication skills
- Allowing non-technical students a chance to gain a greater appreciation for technical fields