This popsicle bridge was made from 58 unmodified popsicle sticks. It was 25 inches long, 4 inches tall, and 3 inches wide. I used only Elmer’s white glue to build the bridge. It weighed 86.5 grams, and held 45 pounds. Its efficiency score was 248.
I redesigned this bridge from the earlier version. The new one is more efficient. It is also easier to build. I changed the position of only a couple popsicle sticks, and actually took off a few. I found that the average popsicle stick weighed 1.49 grams.
Stronger Version
This bridge uses the same basic design as the one above but doubles the number popsicle sticks in strategic places.
This popsicle bridge was made from 84 unmodified popsicle sticks. It spanned 24 inches, was 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide. I used only Elmer’s white glue to build the bridge. It weighed 118 grams, and held 115 pounds. Its efficiency score was 442.
This bridge is slightly crooked, even though you cannot tell it from this photo. I’m sure that had an affect on its performance. However, this bridge was also tested 5 times. Both my sisters stood on it, and one twice before this picture was taken.
I thought I was making a movie when I tested the bridge, but found out afterward that I hadn’t started the camera. Oh well, maybe next time.
None of the popsicle sticks actually broke. Only the joints failed. This is something for me to keep in mind, as it should be very easy to make this bridge a lot stronger.
What is the platform your sister is standing on and how big were the two planks of wood you used to hold the bridge up?
My sister is actually standing on a bathroom scale which is placed on the top of the bridge. Those two pieces of wood under the ends of the bridge are 2×4’s.
Hi!
My partner and I have a physics project due in a couple weeks, and we are drawing a major blank on even where to begin. We cannot decide on what kind of bridge. Therefore, I am grateful for this website. I think it will help alot, so thank you. I do have a question though… What kind of glue should we use? And could you possibly tell or give a hint on what kind of bridge would be the best to use. Because our teacher is going to place a mass of about 40g in the middle. From it, there will be a hook hanging below the bridge with a bucket hanging on it. My teacher will then proceed to load sand into the bucket until the bridge breaks. Hopefully, that’ll give you an idea on what kind of bridge is best. Get back to me asap. Please and thank you!
how did u get the efficiency score
Thank you so much Garret for posting this online! You’ve given me hope keep on living my bridge-building life! We are having this competition on my physics class at school and I think with your design I might just win!
without ur cool bridge i dont know if i would ever get through my life for i had no clue i could ever stand on a bridge made of popsicles. u r my new hero……next to superbatman(a combination of batman and superman). He has all the powers of superman and is smart like batman. U place secound though.
Mad man serz!!
Helpz me out big time
One question??
Wat did u stick the paddle pop sticks with??
Did u do it with PVA glue or with a hot glue gun??
PS. Plzz reply bak!!
I used Elmer’s white glue as stated in the beginning of the description.
is this the design that you currently have a license for selling because this would be something very fun to build during a weekend just to get better at bulding bridges.
If I were you, I would have added more trusses. Still, great bridge!!!!!!!!!!
this looks great, i am researching bridges for engineering class and this will definetly help me along the way.
how did the sticks bend so well
The popsicle sticks are not bent at all. They are simply formed into a Camel-back arch.
hey gb competiotions this tuesday can’t wait ill write a post on how it went
Sweet! I hope your bridge does really well. I just finished testing a popsicle bridge I have been working on for the past several weeks. You should check it out.
This bridge looks like a good bridge and w my partner and i have a project in I.T. and i think that this bridge is going to do good well i hope so but i will get back to you on how much it holds.
You mentioned a Camel back arch in a previous post, How do you make such an arch
Josheph, this bridge is an example of a Camel Back arch. This simply means it isn’t one continuous arch, but rather is broken up into smaller sections.
How would you test for the mass the bridge can hold? the top of the bridge is not straight so you cannot place books/weights on top
Actually, the very top of this bridge is flat enough to allow loading with books or other weights.
How do you determine the efficiency of the bridges, and based on their scores what would the scale be?
Thanks in advance
Rob
Rob, to determine the efficiency I take the amount of weight held and divide that by the weight of the bridge.
how can you stand on it??? thats bizzarre!!
Wow! That is AMAZING your sister is standing on this TINY bridge and it is not Breaking
is this a arch bridge?
Lainie, this is specific type of arch bridge called a camelback arch. The difference is that the arch on this bridge is not continuous. Instead it is broken up into sections, and those individual sections are straight. Does that make sense?
yes it is u can look up on the internet too and see it or just type in how to make a span bridge out of popsicle sticks and this wesite will be near top of page
Great Work!!
This is soo cool. I’m doing a school project and I have to build a model bridge. This helped me a ton!!! Thanx soo much!
This WILL help me majorly with the competition in shop!!!
Very well done, im doing a similar thing and was wandering what type of glue did you use?
Rene, I think I used Elmer’s white glue for this bridge. It isn’t my favorite glue, but I wanted to the most common glue that other people would probably be using.
im not sure wat glue they used but i can recommend the ad tech multi temp glue gun glue much better than glue sticks/glue bottles,tacky glue and all that other stuff if any to tell u the truth is really good glue and if u get it on u u only fell a slit sting of heat but it dont burn ur skin or nuthin like that
Hey do you have any more side pictures of this bridge?? because i can’t see the middle very well…
Suggestion to the builder of the bridges: The joints failed, and it appears that they could use a vertical stick on each side of them to brace the sticks, an x-shape the way the glue holds and the way it works will have each stick of the x slide a different direction.
brace the joints by gluing vertical and horizontal bars to each side.
Wonderful! Can you give me the process of making a bridge especially the connection and distribution of loads. Big thanks.
Check out my 5 Steps to Building a Model Bridge ebook.
hmm pls give the side pictures of the bridge so that I have a good lok at it…
thank you for the advices and pictures it will help me a lot…
I am doing this as a project in my classroom, what kind of scale would you suggest I use to test how much the bridges can hold?
Monica, I suggest using an analog bathroom scale.
Hey great job 🙂 its going to help me a lot in my project for physics.
-great job. This helped me put a lot while doing my science project.
this really helped me in my project for school
I tried doing that, but I tried gluing seprate triangles together. I’l see how it turns out
I like the idea i’m doing this is my class and entering in a conset so what a good size for the bridge?