How do they make bridges able to hold up mega ton trucks without falling?

In our cities and towns, kids see things like roads, buildings, and bridges! On Thursday, we began our investigation into the problems that Civil Engineers help us to solve! One important job that Civil Engineers have is designing bridges that can withstand extreme weather conditions, let cars and people safely pass, and sometimes even lift up to let boats and other large water vehicles through! Our engineers tested out how different materials like pipe cleaners or popsicle sticks can help us to distribute the weight of something heavy, for example a cup of rocks. But as kids experienced in designing their own bridges, even if you’ve got a super sturdy piece of cardboard that can hold up a heavy jar of pennies… what happens if you add another jar on top? Or if you make the supporting beams of your structure using something flimsy like folded up paper? At home, test out how you can share the load and design a bridge to cross over the bathtub!

Our summer camps, such as Engineering University gives a great opportunity for parents to solve real problems.