Balsa and Basswood Arch Bridge
This is an older bridge I came across when browsing through my old Science Olympiad photos. I used both Balsa and Basswood to build this bridge. This bridge was part of my design process which ended up with my SO winning bridge in 2004.
It is pretty easy to see how this bridge failed: the bottom fell out. This is a fairly easy fix, and might have been due simply to poor wood selection. Had I paid more attention to the quality of wood I was using, this failure might have been avoided.
I used two pieces for the arch. I had a square 1/16″ x 1/16″ piece of Basswood for the bottom of the arch. Then I glued a rectangle piece of Balsa wood on top of that to form a T beam. This method worked pretty well, but Balsa is harder to bend than Basswood.
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Post Tags: 2003, arch bridge, balsa bridge, photos, science olympiad
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nice bridge,i have to build one for class and was doing some research
I was wondering if i could get the design plans for your balsa wood, arch bridge. I’m doing an assignment in my Physics class – and this would be just perfect!
Thanks so much for your time.
-Courtney W
What process did you use to get the wood to bend without cracking?
hello…i like this design but i think tht it could have a stronger base.:)
i was wondering if you could send me the designs for the truss bridge and this one too please, im doing a science fair project and this would be a huge help. My email is Dylan30030@yahoo.com
Hey,
I’m a beginner and am trying to build my first arched bridge. I was wondering if you would mind telling me how you were able to bend the wood and create your bridge. Thank you!
-andrea; andreamv113@yahoo.com