I really have nothing on this bridge. I have no idea what team it is from, how much it weighed, or how well it did at the Science Olympiad competition.

I have a picture of it, well, because I had a camera, and the bridge was there. So if you have seen this bridge before, and have some info on it, I would love to hear from you.

Boy does this bridge bring back memories. I built this bridge in 2001, in the 7th grade. It was my first attempt at building a bridge on my own after building this bridge with my partner.

I had wanted to make an arch bridge, much like the Booth Bridge, but I didn’t have the building skills to do join the arches in the middle. So I simply made an A frame bridge. I never knew how much it weighed as our Science Olympiad team did not have a scale back then. The bridge held about 30 pounds, just 3 pounds short of the magical 15 kilogram mark (33 pounds). Back then the Science Olympiad bridges had to hold the entire 15kg or they would be ranked in the 2nd tier.

This bridge was built only out of basswood, except for the roadbed. Even back then I understood the power of Basswood . I used Epoxy glue to build this bridge. That is because my bridge building coach used it, and I followed his example. I don’t use epoxy glue for bridges anymore, though I have used it for other things. Read more about choosing the right glue.

Yes, this is one of the coolest bridges I have ever seen. Built by J.C. Booth Middle for the Science Olympiad Georgia State Finals in 2003, it placed 3rd. For those of you who don’t know Booth, keep reading.

Booth Middle School has won the Georgia State Finals as a team for longer than I can remember, except for one year. They always have an excellent team, and provide much frustration and motivation for the rest of us.

When I first signed up for Bridge Building, I heard that Booth was the team to beat. So I made up my mind that I would beat them. Well, as a 6th grader and a newbie to Science Olympiad I didn’t know what I was saying.

However, I found out that Booth wasn’t the one to beat for Bridge Building. Rising Starr won that year with a 11.something gram bridge, holding 33 pounds. Chamblee won the next year, and E.T. Booth (not the Booth previously referred to) won in 2002. Booth, however, did win in 2003. This is not Booth’s winning bridge, just a cool one. Then all my hopes came true, when I beat everyone in 2004.

I actually have a picture of Booth’s bridge for 2005 (this year), and it is a nice one. But it didn’t win. Still, I might put it up, as the bridge rules have changed enough so nobody can use that design.

This bridge took 5th place at our regional tournament way back in 2001. It weighed 48.something grams and held the entire 15kg without budging. The bridge was absolutely noiseless throughout testing. Back then, we didn’t test our bridges before competition.

I have no doubt this bridge could have held twice what it did. However, the bridge is no longer in existence. I threw it out after having it sit on my shelf for a couple years. Now I wish I had tested it to failure.

David and his dad did the designing for this bridge. Back then, I couldn’t have told you what a Howe truss was. I have come a long way since then .

The Howe truss is very solid, and has been used in engineering for a very long time. Read more about truss design.