Spaghetti is very fragile and breaks easily, but by gluing them together and creating different shapes, you can build a model of a bridge that is solid enough to hold a heavy weight. Every year students of all ages compete in the construction of bridges made with spaghetti. Part of the fun is putting its strength to the test, adding weights until they collapse, in a shower of shattered spaghetti.
Steps
Step 1. Decide how long the bridge will be
You can build a bridge that connects two tables, or create a wooden frame to place it on. It is usually best to build the structure so that you can hang containers of some kind under the bridge.
Step 2. First draw the bridge on graph paper
Cover the paper with clear plastic wrap and use it as a template. Arrange the spaghetti on top of your design to cut them to the right length and glue them together.
Step 3. Use supports to strengthen the bridge structure
You will need triangular shaped supports that attach to both sides of the bridge road. Join the supports to each other with glue. These beams allow you to distribute the weight you are going to add over the entire structure.
Step 4. Build the road
You can do this by gluing several layers of spaghetti on top of each other, to make it thicker and flatter. Or you could choose to leave spaghetti without glue, so that they spread spontaneously and help redistribute the weight.
Step 5. Join the supports to the sides of the road and to the beams on the opposite side
Once completed, the bridge will have a road at the bottom with beams going up on both sides, like walls and a roof.
Step 6. Weigh the bridge
Instead of placing the bridge directly on the scale, place it on something stable, like a box, and weigh both. Or you can use two scales, place one under each end of the bridge, and then add the weight.
Step 7. Place the bridge and hang a light container in the center
Depending on the size of the deck, it can be as small as the corner of an envelope or as large as a plastic bucket.
Step 8. Add some weight to the container, a little at a time
Be careful not to vibrate or wobble the bridge. This part of the operation could be very stressful.
Step 9. Wait for the bridge to collapse
Evaluate how much weight the bridge can hold.
Advice
- To make the bridge even stronger, glue pieces of spaghetti on the ends of the supports, to form small triangles - supports for the supports.
- When determining how much weight the bridge can hold, don't forget to include the weight of the container you use to hold the weights. For spaghetti bridge construction competitions, the weight of the bridge itself is also relevant, and the bridge with the highest strength-to-weight ratio will win.
Warnings
- Be careful to prevent the glue from cooking the spaghetti. Try to use a minimal amount of glue to attach the spaghetti pieces. If you use model glue instead, you need to allow time for the glue to dry.
- Be very careful when carrying your spaghetti bridge. While it is built to withstand a great deal of weight once it is in place, it could still break more easily if bumped or bent in transit. It will probably be better to build the bridge directly in the place where the competition takes place.
