1st year Mechanical Engineering students put their spaghetti bridges to the test in a resistance and vibration competition
1st year Mechanical Engineering students put their spaghetti bridges to the test in a resistance and vibration competition
1st year Mechanical Engineering students put their spaghetti bridges to the test in a resistance and vibration competition
A total of twenty teams from Arrasate and Goierri accepted the challenge: to design and build bridges with a strict limit of one kilo of spaghetti. The challenge was twofold: the structure had to support more than twice its own weight and demonstrate its stability by withstanding an earthquake.
The first-year students of the Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa have had to respond to the challenge of building bridges in their end-of-semester project, a practical activity that combines design, creativity and knowledge of mechanics and mathematics.
A total of 20 teams have participated, 13 on the Arrasate campus and 7 on the Goierri campus, made up of between five and six students each. The goal was to design and build a bridge with a span of 500 millimeters using only one kilogram of spaghetti, white glue, and a wooden base. In addition, the structure had to have a minimum height of 300 millimeters and a maximum weight of one kilogram.
Once construction was completed, the bridges underwent different tests to evaluate their structural behavior. On the one hand, the maximum load they could support in relation to their own weight was analyzed. On the other hand, their dynamic response to vibrations equivalent to those that could be caused by an earthquake was studied. The best result of the competition was obtained by a team from the Goierri campus, whose bridge was able to support more than 20 kilograms of load.
Beyond the competition, this activity allows students to apply in a practical way the knowledge acquired in the classroom, mainly on structural mechanics, mathematics and mechanical design, facing a real challenge in which they must optimize resources and make engineering decisions.
