First year engineering undergraduates Tristan Hudson and Ardil Dogan have won an internal competition in the Engineering Department, competing against 14 other pairs of students. The task was to design a small bridge (~0.84 m long) that could support a load of 7 kN applied to its centre, while being as light as possible. Once assembled, the bridges were tested to destruction and then were judged based on design, cost and strength. The team's bridge was the only one tested that reached the 7 kN load - it over-performed and failed at 9 kN. Watch as the pressure builds in the video below.

Ardil said, "It was a real team effort. I would say that something unexpected for us was how significant buckling was, as the bars were significantly weaker in buckling than yielding. Also, there were various factors we hadn't ever considered in lectures before, such as the strength of a rivet or bolt, and how the distancing between them can cause an uneven distribution of stress. The project was an interesting experience as it showed how just how intricate designing a structure can be." 

Congratulations to both!