PBS
Pbs: Who Builds Big
Who Builds Big? Learn about careers in engineering and architecture. Scroll to the bottom for more links in this PBS series to find about individuals who build bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: The Physics of Bridges
Introduce students to physics concepts that engineers use when building a bridge. This curriculum unit includes concepts such as Newton's Third Law, stress on a material, vibration, and resonance. Unit includes lectures, lab activities,...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Cost Comparisons
Students learn about the many types of expenses associated with building a bridge. Working like engineers, they estimate the cost for materials for a bridge member of varying sizes. After making calculations, they graph their results to...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Show Me the Money
Young scholars learn about the major factors that comprise the design and construction cost of a modern bridge. Before a bridge design is completed, engineers provide overall cost estimates for construction of the bridge. Students learn...
Other
University of Bristol: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge disaster was caused by wind vibrations. Wind in a valley spanned by the Tacoma Narrows Bridge causes the bridge to vibrate so much it collapsed. Shows pictures of the bridge as it is collapsing.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Balsa Towers
Students will build their own towers using some of the techniques they have learned. The materials will consist of balsa wood and glue. General guidelines are provided, but the students will have a lot of freedom with their design to...
The Tech Interactive
The Tech Museum of Innovation: Bridging the Gap [Pdf]
Can your team build the appropriate bridge to fit the needs of various terrains? In this lesson, students will build an assigned bridge in order to increase knowledge of various types of bridges. Students will then engage in a design...
Other
University of Cincinnati: Project Step: Build a Bridge
In this two-period instructional activity, students work in teams to focus on the real-world application of bridge design and construction based on capacity, cost, and aesthetics.
PBS
Pbs Building Big: The Skyscraper Challenge
A site for all users interested in the engineering behind the building. Site engages users in a job that requires them to investigate troubled buildings and then figure out how to fix them.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Natural Frequency and Buildings
Students learn about frequency and period, particularly natural frequency using springs. They learn that the natural frequency of a system depends on two things: the stiffness and mass of the system. Students see how the natural...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Keeping You in Suspens(ion)
Find out the different strengths of two types of bridges, beam and suspension, by building your own. This Science Buddies science project gives you the means to find out. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently...
![Cornell University: Cornell Center for Materials Research: The Physics of Bridges [Pdf] Lesson Plan](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/179288-156db1b103cd8a925bf41eafa438c1b7.jpg?1661496214 "Cornell University: Cornell Center for Materials Research: The Physics of Bridges [Pdf] Lesson Plan")
Cornell University
Cornell University: Cornell Center for Materials Research: The Physics of Bridges [Pdf]
Students incorporate their knowledge of civil engineering and physics principles as they design and build a bridge within certain parameters while choosing their own materials.
Other
Sprk: Sphero Bridge Stem Challenge [Pdf]
SPRK STEM challenges are fun, interactive activities that challenge students to use creativity and team-work to move through simple steps of the design process in order to build Sphero-based creations. In this challenge students will...
Other
Whiting School of Engineering: Spaghetti Bridge
An engineering project where students construct a bridge from spaghetti and glue. Site includes guidelines, pictures, and movies of previous projects.
PBS
Pbs: The Bridge Challenge
This site from PBS is for any user wanting test their engineering skills. Take a trip to Craggy Rock and help their growing community decide on four new bridges.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Strong as the Weakest Link
To introduce the two types of stress that materials undergo - compression and tension - students examine compressive and tensile forces and learn about bridges and skyscrapers. They construct their own building structure using...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Boom Construction
Student teams design their own booms (bridges) and engage in a friendly competition with other teams to test their designs. Each team strives to design a boom that is light, can hold a certain amount of weight, and is affordable to...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Does It Work? Test and Test Again
Testing is critical to any design, whether it be in the creation of new software or building a bridge across a wide river. Despite risking the quality of the design, the testing stage is often hurried in order to get products to market....
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Spaghetti Bridge
Civil engineers design and construct structures such as buildings, dams, and bridges. We can explore the field of engineering by making a bridge using spaghetti. This bridge is then tested based on the weight it can carry without breaking.
Other
Bridge Sight Software: The Bridge Site: Software
This resource provides links to a wide variety of Bridge Engineering Software. Click on the link to learn about the software.
Other
Pghbridges: Bridge Basics
Site defines four main factors (span, material, placement of the travel surface in relation to structure, and form) that should be considered when designing a bridge.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Suspension Bridge
Compare the strength and practical uses of beam bridges and suspension bridges. Investigate how the cable contributes to the stability and strength of a suspension bridge.
PBS
Pbs Teachers:paper Bridge
Investigate the forces acting on a support and make adjustments to give a bridge the strength to support its own weight (the dead load) as well as the weight of anything placed on it (the live load).
Read Works
Read Works: Building a Bridge
[Free Registration/Login Required] A literary text about two friends who work together to build a bridge. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.