About the Event
BRIDGE MANIA is an event organized to foster a practical understanding of structural engineering and bridge design. It offers students a platform to demonstrate their creativity and technical skills by building structurally sound bridge models using limited materials. The event promotes teamwork, engineering judgment, and innovation in planning and construction.
Bridge Model: The bridge model refers to a scaled-down structural system designed to carry applied loads, demonstrating stability, strength, and efficiency similar to real-life bridge constructions.
Participants are required to complete the bridge model on the event day according to the criteria mentioned below. The models will be evaluated through load testing and technical judging parameters, and winners will be selected accordingly.
Event Rules
Bridge-O-Mania: PAPER ROLL MINI BRIDGE CHALLENGE
Eligibility:
- Each team shall consist of 2–3 students.
- Students from Civil Engineering and other engineering disciplines may participate, subject to event regulations.
- Each team shall construct and submit one bridge model.
- All members must participate in the design, construction, or presentation process.
Materials and Equipment:
Materials Provided by Organizers:
- News Paper
- Adhesive/Glue
- Weighing Balance
- Standardized Loading Arrangement
- Weights/Loading Materials
Material Restrictions:
- Wooden sticks
- Cardboard
- Metal wires
- Plastic strips
- Thread/String as structural members
- Foam/Thermocol
- Ready-made structural members
- Any material not authorized by the organizers
Construction Requirement: The final bridge must be constructed primarily from the supplied paper.
Proposed Bridge Specifications:
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bridge material | Supplied paper |
| Suggested paper | News Paper |
| Number of sheets | Maximum 15 Full Sheets |
| Required clear span | 50 cm |
| Maximum overall length | 60 cm |
| Maximum bridge width | 15 cm |
| Maximum bridge height | 20 cm |
| Maximum deck thickness | 2 cm |
| Team size | 2–3 students |
| Construction time | 60 minutes |
| Design/Planning time | 15–20 minutes |
| Testing | Central/standardized loading |
| Maximum testing time | As decided by organizers |
Note: The organizers may modify dimensions and material limits according to the venue, equipment, and expected participation.
Deck Specification:
- Deck roll orientation: Perpendicular to span.
- Maximum deck thickness: 2 cm, measured vertically from the lowest to the highest point of the deck.
- Stacking: Vertical stacking of paper rolls to increase deck thickness is not permitted.
- Deck width: Maximum 15 cm, consistent with the overall bridge-width limitation.
Acceptable Bridge Forms:
Participants may select any suitable structural configuration, including:
- Beam bridge
- Truss bridge
- Pratt truss
- Howe truss
- Warren truss
- Box girder
- Arch bridge
- Folded plate configuration
- Tubular/Rolled member bridge
- Any other innovative structural form
Event Procedure:
Round 1 – Design and Planning
Duration: 15–20 minutes. Teams prepare a preliminary design showing the bridge type, dimensions, structural arrangement, expected load path, joining method, and material-use strategy.
Round 2 – Construction
Duration: 60 minutes. Teams construct the bridge using only permitted materials, focusing on member formation, strong joints, accurate dimensions, symmetry, stability, efficient paper use, and workmanship.
Round 3 – Load Testing
The completed bridge is placed on standardized supports. The self-weight of the bridge is measured, and load is applied gradually at the specified location until failure, excessive deformation, or the maximum permitted load is reached.
Evaluation Criteria
| Evaluation Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Load-Carrying Capacity | 50 |
| Structural Efficiency | 25 |
| Design & Structural Concept | 15 |
| Workmanship & Aesthetics | 10 |
| TOTAL | 100 |
Detailed Evaluation Rubric
A. Load-Carrying Capacity – 50 Marks
| Load Carried by Bridge | Marks | Load Carried by Bridge | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2–0.4 kg | 5 | >2–3 kg | 30 |
| >0.4–0.6 kg | 10 | >3–4 kg | 35 |
| >0.6–0.8 kg | 15 | >4–5 kg | 40 |
| >0.8–1.0 kg | 20 | >5–6 kg | 45 |
| >1–2 kg | 25 | >6–8 kg and >8 kg | 50 |
Note: The actual ranking should also consider bridge self-weight so that excessive material use is not automatically rewarded.
B. Structural Efficiency – 25 Marks
Recommended Formula:
Use the same units for everyone, preferably kg/kg.
Structural efficiency should be calculated by comparing the maximum load carried by the bridge with its self-weight.
| Team | Bridge Weight | Maximum Load | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 200 g | 10 kg | 50 |
| B | 300 g | 12 kg | 40 |
| C | 250 g | 15 kg | 60 |
| D | 400 g | 16 kg | 40 |
C. Design & Structural Concept – 15 Marks
| Criteria | Marks |
|---|---|
| Structural system & load path | 4 |
| Choice of bridge configuration | 3 |
| Member arrangement | 3 |
| Stability & lateral resistance | 2 |
| Connection/Detailing concept | 2 |
| Innovation & engineering reasoning | 1 |
| Total | 15 |
D. Workmanship & Aesthetics – 10 Marks
| Criteria | Marks |
|---|---|
| Quality of paper rolling | 2 |
| Quality of joints/connections | 2 |
| Dimensional accuracy | 2 |
| Symmetry & alignment | 2 |
| Overall appearance | 2 |
| Total | 10 |
Note: The event organizers reserve the right to modify, revise, or change the event criteria, rules, activities, evaluation parameters, duration, or other requirements during the event.
No of participants
TEAM (3 MEMBERS)Participation Fees
RS. 300 PER TEAMStudent coordinator
KAMANI FENIL (9265244144)BIDUR POUDEL (7859936897)
Event coordinator
Prof. Dhaval Dara Dhaval.dara@rku.ac.inWinner certificate will be provided to the rankers.
Participation certificate will be provided to all participants.