Balsa wood Bridge

Engineering
Report

By Alvin Wong
10Eng1
Mr Wallace
August 2015

Abstract
In this report, I will explain how to design and construct
the most efficient Balsa Bridge by using limited
material in a limited time period. I need to find an
engineering process which allows me to design and
construct a Balsa bridge when I do not have any
constraints on how the Balsa Bridge must be
manufactured.

2 of 26

Contents
Abstract................................................................................................................. 2
Introduction........................................................................................................... 4
Design Brief........................................................................................................... 5
Work Breakdown Structure.................................................................................... 6
Balsa Wood Bridge Design..................................................................................... 7
Production plan - sequence of proposed steps......................................................8
Bridge specifications.............................................................................................. 9
Equipment........................................................................................................... 10
Evaluation............................................................................................................ 12
Final Evaluation................................................................................................ 12
Recommendations............................................................................................... 14
Appendix.............................................................................................................. 15
Appendix 1: Rules and Guidance......................................................................15
Appendix 2: Construction Rules........................................................................16
Appendix 3: Important tips...............................................................................17
Appendix 4: Further tips for bridge construction..............................................18
Appendix 5: Safety precautions and hazards....................................................19
Appendix 6: Types of bridges............................................................................20
Appendix 7: Types of force................................................................................ 23
Appendix 8: Live Load and Dead Load..............................................................24
Glossary............................................................................................................... 25
Bibliography......................................................................................................... 26

3 of 26

Introduction
The year 10 engineering class received a project known
as the Balsa bridge where we were given a set amount
of materials to design and construct a bridge which
could hold the most weight and have the best weight to
load ratio. We must solve many problems in this Balsa
bridge before constructing the most efficient Balsa
bridge. Some problems are the availability of each
materials and time constraint. In the end, it is up to us,
the engineers to solve the question of how best to
make the bridge? This project involves planning,
decision making, creative thinking and innovation.

4 of 26

Design Brief
For this Balsa wood bridge project, we had to complete
these things:
1.
2.
3.

Bridge draft
Balsa wood bridge model
Progressed folio

Aim: to understand the characteristics of the balsa

wood bridge, to develop skills on bridge building,
forces, technical terminology, how to use a certain
equipment and how to make a wood balsa bridge
efficiently.
For my balsa wood bridge model, I had specifications to
follow to comply with the bridge specifications.
Some examples of these were
The length of the bridge
The width of the bridge
The amount of materials provided

5 of 26

Work Breakdown Structure

Balsa
Bridge

Researc
h

Design

Make

Test

Evalua
te

Similar
Designs

First
sketch

Cutting
Balsa

Weight

Evaluati
on

Final
test

Final
Evaluatio
n

Award
winning
designs

Westpoin
t Bridge
Designer

Drafts

Final
Design

File to
the
right
measur
e-ment
Gluing

Add on
decking

6 of 26

Balsa Wood Bridge Design

Figure 1 My Balsa wood bridge

Figure 2 My Balsa wood bridge's side drawn to scale

7 of 26

Production plan - sequence of proposed steps

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Research and evaluate designs

See pros and cons
Choose the designs I want
Come up with the final design I want using research
Draw the final design (pencil, ruler, A3 paper)
Cut balsa wood into pieces to a length of 50mm (Stanley
knife)
7. Draw design to scale on the A3 paper
8. Cut out gusset pieces
9. Glue pieces together with gusset pieces (hot glue)
10.
Cut balsa wood into pieces to a length of 60mm
(Stanley knife)
11.
Glue pieces together with pieces glued together in
step 9 to complete one side of the bridge
12.
Repeat step 6-11
13.
Cut out pieces of balsa woods of 50mm in length
14.
Put the pieces from step 13 at the bottom of the 2
bridge sides
15.
Glue them together
16.
Cut out pieces of balsa woods of 50mm in length
17.
Glue them on top of the bridge
18.
Put on decking
19.
Glue on decking
20.
Smoothen the edges with file or sandpaper
21.
Weight the bridge
22.
Test the bridge

1.

8 of 26

Bridge specifications
Truss Bridge or whatever
Bridge must be 300mm in length
50mm wide (block of 50mm x 50mm x 50mm can
pass along the whole length)
Maximum height of bridge is 60mm
Cannot use more than the material provided
One decking sheet (balsa) which is 50mm x
300mm x 1.5mm
4x915mm lengths of 5mm square balsa
Only hot glue (or PVA wood glue)

9 of 26

Equipment
Stanley knife- a retractable-blade knife that is used
for utility purposes. This was used when cutting the
balsa wood. (See figure 3)

Figure 3 A Stanley Knife

Hot glue- a type of glue typically used for crafting.

This was used when gluing the bridge together. (See
figure 4)

Figure 4 Hot glue sticks

Hot
glue gun- a gun designed to melt hot glue in
order for it to stick. This was used when melting the hot
glue. (See figure 5)

10 of 26
Figure 5 A hot got gun

File- a tool to fine amounts of materials in workplace.

This was used when smoothing the balsa wood bridges
edges. (See figure 6)

Figure 6 A file

Sand paper- another tool to fine amounts of materials

when crafting. This was also used when smoothing the
balsa wood bridges edges. (See figure 7)

Figure 7 Sandpapers

Ruler- an instrument used to measure distances or

draw straight lines. This was used to measure the
length of balsa wood pieces and to draw the draft of my
bridge on the A3 paper. (See figure 8)

11 of 26

Figure 8 A metal ruler

12 of 26

Evaluation
Final Evaluation

I did the balsa wood bridge after finishing the spaghetti

bridge project. They are both quite similar but the
spaghetti bridge project only allowed very limited
materials and it was more challenging than the balsa
wood bridge because spaghettis are easier to break.
My balsa wood bridge met the specifications that I was
given. My bridge was 300mm in length, 50mm in width
and 60mm in height. (See figure 1 and 2). My bridge
was above average, it reached a load to weight ratio as
787.815 which was the 4th strongest bridge in my class.
My bridge was 19.04 grams which was relatively
light if you compare it with other bridges and it handled
15 Kilograms of weights which was quite a lot. The
strongest bridge was built by James Wong, his bridge
was not only the strongest, and it was the lightest as
well with 14.58 grams only. I was amazed at his result
as his bridge handled 14 Kilograms with such a light
weight.
My bridge was poorly built due to lack of time and
experience, especially most of the edges were not
glued properly and not all the members were exact
50mm in length. This was resulted in failing early in the
weight test. This also caused the bridge to look uneven
on both sides and made the bridge unbalanced. The
reason that I did not apply that much glue on my balsa
wood bridge is that I believed that it would make the
bridge much lighter and the hot glue would spread very
well, I also thought the hot glue we were using was
very strong.

13 of 26

I missed out a couple of lessons due to illness and other

activities such as peer support, these are some reasons
that I had to rush in order to finish my balsa wood
bridge. I was also distracted by my friends easier
during class which made me spend less time on
building the bridge. I did not spend my time efficiently
because I was spending too much on one particular
area of the project, such as researching on bridges.
Another problem that led to my failure was forgetting to
use the Westpoint bridge program, this program would
allow me to test my bridge virtually first.
I believe I should have done a lot better if I had spent
more time on this project. Even though I did my
research on bridges, I did not put good uses of them.
Some strengths about my bridge are it reached the
700-1000 weight to load ratio which are the main focus
of the project, it looked quite aesthetic even thought it
was unbalanced, it was relatively light comparing to
other bridges and it was quite successful. I have learnt
a lot from this balsa wood bridge project and I think I
would definitely improve if I do this project again.

14 of 26

Recommendations
After finishing the balsa wood bridge project, I have
learnt a lot knowledge about building bridges, forces
and many technical terminologies. There would be
many changes to how I handle this project if I was given
a 2nd chance.
Some things I would do are making a Gnatt chart which
is timeline for project, it would allow me to show the
steps of each stage that fit into the weeks available for
researching, analysing, production and evaluation.
Making a project milestones chart would allow me to
write down the deliverables for each week with a
comment. A better structured work breakdown
structure which would have helped my project
significantly as it would be able to counter the time
constraints and the things need to be done.
Spending more time on building the balsa wood bridge
itself is another thing I would definitely do. My bridge
did not achieve the best result in the class due to lack
of time on making the bridge. Gluing and cutting balsa
members are the two most significant jobs in the
production section. I did not spend a lot time on these
two areas, I would take my bridge home and spend
more time on it next time. This would make my bridge
more stable and possibly result in a better weight to
load ratio.
More researching would give me more knowledge on
building bridges. Using the Westpoint bridge program
would allow me to test the bridge virtually and possibly
make changes to my design. I need to know more
about my tools and materials, so I can construct my
bridge with the correct techniques.
15 of 26

If the recommendations above are used, the balsa

wood bridge would definitely have a better weight to
load ratio and improved significantly.

16 of 26

Appendix
Appendix 1: Rules and Guidance

Bridge must be made with only of the balsa wood

and glue supplied in class
Bridge must be 300mm in length
Bridge must be 50mm in width
Bridges maximum height is 60mm
There must be 1 decking sheet on top on the
bridge which is 50mm*300mm*1.5mm
Only allow 4 of the 915mm lengths of 5mm square
balsa
Only allow hot glue or PVA wood glue
No part of the bridge may touch anything except
the top surface of the chair within 50mm of the
edge of the gap, and the equipment used to test
the bridge
Bridge must rest freely on the table tops. It cannot
be attached to the table tops with glue or screws,
for example
Bridges will be designed and built by 1 person only.
Each person must submit a photo of their bridge
and video of the test to the teacher

17 of 26

Appendix 2: Construction Rules

The bridge must rest simply on top of the supports at

each side and not rely on the testing support frame of
lateral support. Side thrust onto the vertical faces of
the frame is not permitted. (See figure 9)

Figure 9 Bridge on top of the support

18 of 26

Appendix 3: Important tips

Plan and sketch the bridge on paper before cutting

balsa wood to ensure the availability of material to
achieve the design.
Pay attention to the joints between the balsa wood
elements.
Lack of glue or inadequate contact between the
two surfaces may lead to bridge failures.
Cut small notches to connect bridge components
Fewer pieces mean fewer problems
Design for strength at the load application point
Most bridges bend inwards
Double-check the length of the bridge. It should be
300mm.
Do not cover the bridge with any material. Glue
should be used only to join components.
Use sandpaper to clean the bridge and remove
excess glue.
Align connections carefully so that you structure is
straight when finished.
Balsa is unlikely to be same strength throughout its
entire length.

19 of 26

Appendix 4: Further tips for bridge construction

Connections are typically the weakest part of Balsa

Bridge. Strong connections have a lot of surface area
for the glued connection. Using gusset plates when
constructing can strengthen the bridge. The connection
on the left below can use only one gusset plate
because the widths of the two members are different.
The connection on the right can use two gusset plates
because the bottom member is rotated flat-wise. (See
figure 10 & 11)

Figure 10 Gusset plates

Figure 11 Gusset plates

20 of 26

Appendix 5: Safety precautions and hazards

All construction and decoration work must be done

within the workshop supervised by a teacher at all
times.
Wear safety goggles while creating your bridge.
Ensure the workspace is well ventilated at all
times, particularly while gluing your bridge.
Take great care when carrying out cutting on a
clean, flat and stable surface when working with
sharp tools.
Be extremely careful when handling hot glue as it
is very hot and a strong adhesive, so avoid contact
with skin, eyes and clothing.
Protect the surfaces you will be working on from
both glue and accident cutting.
Need to clean up work area after each bridge
building lesson.
Keep your hands away from the bridges during
testing.

21 of 26

Appendix 6: Types of bridges

Type of
Bridge
Beam
Bridge

Truss
Bridge

Illustration

Description/exa
mples
Simplest bridge
structure
supported by a
pier at each end.
Can be made
with timber, iron,
steel, reinforced
concrete,
prestressed
concrete.
Manchac
Swamp
Bridge
Tianjin Grand
Bridge
Lake
pontchartrai
n Causeway
Donghai
Bridge
King Fahd
causeway
A bridge of
connected
elements forming
triangles, maybe
stressed from
tension,
compression or
both. Can be
made with
22 of 26

Arch
Bridge

timber, iron,
steel, reinforced
concrete,
prestressed
concrete.
Ikitsuki
Bridge
AstoriaMegler
Bridge
Francis Scott
Key Bridge
A bridge with
abutments at
each end, shaped
like a curved
arch. Can be
made with
masonry,
concrete,
wrought iron,
cast iron, timber,
structural steel.
Halfpenny
footbridge
York
Millennium
footbridge

23 of 26

Suspensi
on
Bridge

Bridge with deck

hung below the
suspension
cables on vertical
suspenders. Can
be made with
steel rope, steel
wire strand
cables or forged
or cast chain
links
Verraganonarrows
bridge
Golden Gate
bridge
Mackinac
Bridge

24 of 26

Cablestayed
Bridge

Bridge has 1 or
more pylons from
which cables
support the
bridge deck. Can
be made with
steel rope, steel
wire stranded
cables or forged
or cast chain
links
Sutong
Bridge
Stonecutters
Bridge

25 of 26

Appendix 7: Types of force

There are 2 types of force, they are compression and

tension.
Tension force is a force that is exerted equally on both
sides of an object, such as a rope or a cable and is
transmitted between the ends of the object. (See figure
12)
Compression force is the force generated from
squeezing an object. An example of this would be
placing an object on a spring, when the spring is
compressed and then released, the object is ejected
into the air. (See figure 12)

Figure 12 Compression and Tension force

26 of 26

Appendix 8: Live Load and Dead Load

Bridges must be able to support 2 types of forces,

called loads or they will collapse. Dead load (See
figure 13) is the weight of bridge itself, such as its
columns, beams, nuts, bolts, trusses, cables, etc. Live
load (See figure 14) is the weight or force of temporary
external elements acting on the bridge, such as people,
vehicles, wind, etc.
Environmental factors such as temperature,
earthquakes and wind also contribute the loads on
bridges. Hot and cold temperatures cause parts of the
bridge to change.

Figure 13 Dead load

27 of 26
Figure 14 Live load

Glossary
Span- Distance between 2 bridge supports whether
they are columns towers or the wall of a canyon
Force- Any action that tends to maintain or after
the position of a structure
Compression- a force which acts to compress or
shorten the thing it is acting on
Tension- a force which acts to expand or lengthen
the thing it is acting on
Dynamic forces- force that make something
accelerate.
Static forces- a constant force applied to a
stationary object.
Beam- a rigid, usually horizontal, structural
element
Pier-a vertical supporting structure, such as a pillar
Cantilever- a projecting structure supported only at
an end, like a shelf bracket or a diving board
Load- weight distribution throughout a structure
Truss- a rigid frame composed of short, straight
pieces joined to form a series of triangles or other
stable shapes
Stable- ability to resist collapse and deformation or
characteristic that is able to carry a realistic load
without collapsing or deforming significantly
Deform- to change shape
Buckling- is what happens when the force of
compression over comes an objects ability to
handle compression.
Snapping- is what happens when tension
overcomes an objects ability to handle tension
Dissipate forces- to spread forces out over a
greater area
28 of 26

 Transfer forces- to move the forces from an area of

weakness to an area of strength, an area designed
to handle the forces

29 of 26

Bibliography
Balsa wood bridge. (2015, August 23). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balsa_wood_bridge
compression definition. (2015, August 16). Retrieved from TechTarget:
http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/compression
File (tool). (2015, August 16). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_(tool)
Google Image. (2015, August 23). Retrieved from Google Image:
https://images.google.com/
Hot-melt adhesive. (2015, August 16). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot-melt_adhesive
How Bridges work. (2015, August 23). Retrieved from Howstuffswork:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/civil/bridge2.htm
Physics Balsa Bridge Building Context. (2015, August 23). Retrieved from Physics
Balsa Bridge Building Context: http://www.balsabridge.com/
Ruler. (2015, August 16). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruler
Sandpaper. (2015, August 16). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpaper
Structural Load. (2015, August 16). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_load
Tension vs Compression. (2015, August 16). Retrieved from Essential
Humanities : http://www.essential-humanities.net/artsupplementary/tension-compression/
Types of Bridges. (2015, August 23). Retrieved from History of Bridges:
http://www.historyofbridges.com/facts-about-bridges/types-of-bridges/
Utility knife. (2015, August 16). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_knife
What is a Dead Load? (2014, August 16). Retrieved from Wisegeek:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-dead-load.htm
What is tension force? (2015, August 16). Retrieved from Ask.com:
http://www.ask.com/science/tension-force-5d179244f93b3d05
What is the definition of compression force? (2015, August 16). Retrieved from
Ask.com: http://www.ask.com/science/definition-compression-force1df761a253d8a1a8
What is the difference between compression and tension? (2015, August 16).
Retrieved from Ask.com: http://www.ask.com/science/difference-betweencompression-tension-78b00da2dcb8013c

30 of 26

31 of 26