The Department of Civil Engineering, in collaboration with the Engineering Club at Kardan University, organized the 1st Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, in the university’s Taimani Campus.

The competition was designed as a fun way for Civil Engineering students to develop their engineering skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity. The purpose of the contest was to train students on how to overcome challenges related to their field of study and succeed in their careers.

In this year’s Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition, BCE students worked in teams of two to four students and a supervisor on the design and construction of a model bridge made solely from ordinary wooden craft sticks and all-purpose white school glue.

Teams earned points based on the performance of their bridge in terms of strength, efficiency, artistry, presentation, and technical report, as well as an impromptu design event.

A total of 50 students in 17 teams participated in the contest. The best bridge (SAAN bridge) resisted 132.6 kg with 125.5 efficiency. The second position bridge (Popsicle) withstood 132.12 kg with 109.58 efficiency and the third position bridge (Popsicle Stick) resisted 92 kg with 261 efficiency.

“It was a great experience to understand the procedure of transferring loads from beams to girders and analysis of steel truss to avoid deformation in girders,” said Mohammad Areeb Khaleqy, a 5th-semester BCE student.

Shaheerullah, another participating student, said, “I truly appreciate the relentless efforts of our lecturers in motivating us to participate in such practical competitions, and I hope our hard work will greatly pay off in the future.”