Posted at 12:34 p.m., Thursday, November 15, 2007
Engineer expo features Popsicle-stick bridge contest
Advertiser Staff
The Hawaii Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers tomorrow morning is sponsoring a "Popsicle Stick Bridge Contest" as part of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa's 2007 Junior Engineering Expo.Teams of middle school students will build bridges spanning a two-foot gap, using only Popsicle sticks, glue, and their imaginations. The bridge that can hold the most weight will win the contest. Bridges will be tested from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Holmes Hall.
The contest is one of several events at the Junior Engineering Expo that are intended to stimulate interest in engineering among Hawai'i's students. Civil engineering focuses on developing the infrastructure that is essential to living and working in Hawai'i such as transportation (roads and mass transit), water resources (drinking water, wastewater treatment, and dam safety), and energy. There is currently a shortage of civil engineers in Hawai'i.
Formed on October 4, 1937, the Hawaii Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers is the local Section of the national organization, which includes some 130,000 members worldwide. With over 1,000 members locally, the mission of the Hawai'i Section is to develop leadership, advance technology, advocate lifelong learning, and promote the profession throughout the state.
