Local Contests

Are you interested in running a local bridge design contest in your classroom, school, or community? If so, we can support your efforts by providing you with your own customized, web-based Local Contest Scoreboard.

Procedure

There are two different formats for local contests:

  • Local contests based on a single Bridge Design Project. In this format, contestants in a given local contest are assigned one specific bridge length, height, support configuration, and load case. This type of contest uses a 6-character Local Contest Code (see below) and is available only while the national Engineering Encounters Bridge Design Contest is not underway.
  • Local contests based on all possible Bridge Design Projects. In this format, participants in a given local contest are permitted to use any bridge length, height, support configuration, and load case offered by the Bridge Designer software. This type of contest uses a 4-character Local Contest Code and is available anytime (except for the period from mid-December to mid-January, when we will be setting up for the national contest.).

For detailed instructions on requesting, organizing, and conducting a local bridge design contest, please download the .pdf document, “Instructions for Organizing a Local Contest.” If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Class Projects

Each year, approximately 100 middle-school and high-school teachers organize local bridge design contests as class projects for their students. In practice, many of these projects weren’t really contests; the teachers just used the Local Contest Scoreboard as a tool to keep track of their students’ performance on the bridge design project.

This year, you can do it too! If you are a teacher and are using the West Point Bridge Designer for a class project, you can request a Local Contest Code by following the procedure described above. Ensure that your students enter the code when they register for the national contest. Then your web-based Local Contest Scoreboard will provide up-to-date, easily accessible feedback on your students’ performance.