14TH ANNUAL 4TH GRADE POPSICLE STICK BRIDGE EVENT
Location: *Greenville Convention Center
Conference Hall
1 Exposition Drive, Greenville, SC 29607
Time: 9AM – 12PM
#ASCEUPSTATEBRIDGE2023
-Once we have a full list of teams from each school we will assign testing stations and orders, so check back frequently for updates see link & info on station testing above
-There will be some additional exhibits/vendors this year, including:
Touch A Truck
Event t-shirts for sale ($15)
Children’s Museum – Imagination Playground
The ASCE SC Upstate Branch has been hosting the Popsicle Bridge Competition since 2009. The event was started by the Upstate Branch members and the Greenville County Challenge Program teachers. The Challenge program includes students that achieve high scores on academic testing, and this competition was created to help them learn more about math, science, and engineering in a fun and practical way. The students spend approximately 3 months in the classroom learning about bridge design and the challenges of creating a strong, yet lightweight bridge which is essential in today’s real world scenarios of cost efficient design. The 4th grade students construct their bridges with Popsicle sticks and white craft glue and must adhere to certain constraints regarding height, length and width. The bridges are then brought to the competition for final weigh-in and testing as part of the competition.
Typical Agenda
7:45am – Volunteer arrival and registration
8:00am – Final setup and preparation
9:00am – Testing Group 1 Begins
10:30am – Testing Group 2 Begins
Awards will be presented via video the week following the event.
The 2022 event tested over 300 bridges from more than 800 students.
Bridges are judged by a panel of judges and winners are chosen for the following categories:
1. Best Architectural Design
2. Most Original Design
3. Best Craftsmanship
4. Best Structural
The “Best Structural” category is based on load testing the bridges to failure while taking into consideration the weight of the bridge.