UA to Host High School Students for Balsa Wood Bridge Competition

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — More than 150 high school students from western Oklahoma, southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas will be on the University of Arkansas campus Saturday, Feb. 4, to participate in the final phase of bridge-building competition called Build’em and Bust’em. Bridge testing begins at 1:15 p.m. and will be held in Alltel Ballroom on the fifth floor of the Arkansas Union.

“The goal of projects like the Build’em and Bust’em competition is to help students recognize and develop their potential to excel in math and science and encourage them to pursue postsecondary degrees in these fields,” said Keith Brink, director of UA Upward Bound Academy for Mathematics and Sciences. “For the past several weeks, students in the Upward Bound math and science programs at the University of Arkansas and neighboring institutions have been constructing lightweight bridges using only balsa wood and glue.”

During the final phase, each bridge will be stress-tested until failure to see how much weight it can hold. Bridges that weigh the least, hold the most weight, and follow design specifications in each competition category will receive awards. An additional prize for overall design will also be awarded.

Other institutions include Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Ark.; Carl Albert State College in Poteau, Okla.; and Crowder College in Neosho, Mo. The competition is sponsored by the University of Arkansas Pre-College Programs Office and the College of Engineering.