17 schools vie to build strongest bridge

By DENISE DICK

denise_dick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Western Reserve High School physics and math teacher Sean Garner credits his students’ competitive nature for their winning the Best Overall title at the eighth Mahoning Valley Miniature Bridge Building Competition.

“It’s really easy when you have students who are motivated to perform at high levels,” Garner said.

The team of Western Reserve seniors Aleah Hughes, Ethan Grim and Tim Coler won both the Best Overall trophy and the award for strongest structure.

Their bridge held nearly 160 pounds before snapping.

“Mr. Garner taught us to use arches,” Tim explained of the winning design.

That element helps spread the weight, allowing the span to accommodate more.

Thirty-two teams from 17 area high schools competed Friday in the Chestnut Room of Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley Center.

The students used balsa wood to build a footlong bridge that would both hold weight and be aesthetically pleasing.

Teams set their spans on tables with hooks suspended from the bridge bottom. A bucket on each hook is filled with metal rods until the bridge exceeds its capacity and breaks.

The competition started in 2008 through the Mahoning and Trumbull county engineers working with YSU, MS Consultants Inc. and GPD Group. The idea is to expose high school students to civil engineering.

Garner said his students spent the last four weeks preparing for the contest, each team trying to best the other.

In practice beforehand, though, the heaviest load one of their bridges held was 110 pounds.

Although it didn’t win a prize, Western Reserve’s other team of seniors Nolan Snyder, John Clegg and Ian Hames built a bridge that held nearly 91 pounds, the second-heaviest load in the competition.

Second place overall went to the Lowellville High School team of seniors Jordan Zackasee, Tyler Koch and Vince Donofrio. Their bridge held about 79 pounds.

Their team as well as Lowellville’s other team were selected by teacher Richard Popio.

The other winners:

Most Aesthetically Pleasing: first place, Poland Seminary High School Team B; second place, Jackson-Milton High School Team A; and third place, Brookfield High School Team B.

Most Improved: Youngstown Early College Team A.

Teamwork: Mineral Ridge High School Team A.

The Wade Harvey Design Award: Jackson-Milton Team A. It recognizes the design that combines efficiency, aesthetics and complexity. It’s awarded in honor of Harvey, a founding member of the event who died of cancer in 2010.