Helmets? Check. Goggles? Check. Weights, metal garbage pail, spray bottle, and a pitcher of sand? Check, check, check, and check.
This is no construction zone. For 43 years, Notre Dame has held a balsa bridge building competition. Some bridges are fanciful; others, pragmatic.
On May 24, Physics 11 and 12 students watched with nervous anticipation as their hard work was put to the ultimate test of strength and endurance, one by one.
In the dim light of the auditorium, a hush descends while weight after weight is carefully deposited -- all of it suspended from the little test car perched on a deck 5cm wide. Those in attendance wait for the telltale creak before each wooden construction gives way.
In total, 66 bridges qualified this year to compete for 4 titles: Most Attractive, Most Unusual, Best in Workmanship and Design, and the much coveted Strength title.
On average, the 100g balsa wood bridges held 39kg of mass.
Congratulations to the top scorers from each category:
Most Attractive:
Gabe Alcayde, Lance Soliman and Helene Tran
Ana Goluza and Klaudija Mustapic
Vanessa Montemayor
Most Unusual:
Niza Manalili
Gabe Alcayde, Lance Soliman and Helene Tran
Ana Goluza and Klaudija Mustapic
Workmanship and Design:
Gabi Raffele
Angelica Abijero and Robert Suganob
Marco Iacobucci
Finally, the top prize: Strength
Adriano Pizzolato - 238.80 kg
Katia Krumpak - 169.30 kg
Anthony Chau and Julian Kyle - 126.10 kg
We are proud of Notre Dame students who, year after year, show exceptional talent through this contest.
Join us once again in congratulating Adriano on the exceptional achievement of 238.80 kg (526.46 lbs!).
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