25″ Arched Warren Popsicle Stick Bridge
Re-engineered for 2014. This update to a classic design brings more realism, but with a cost. Find out more below.
warren truss
Ultimate Popsicle Bridge Design?
This is quite an interesting popsicle bridge video. The maker claims it is the “ultimate popsicle bridge design” because it held 600 pounds. He also states in the description that he spent a large amount of time optimizing the Warren Truss. This is also probably part of his “ultimate design” claim…
Truss Series: Warren Truss
The Warren Truss was patented by James Warren in 1848. It has been around a while. It is one of the most popular bridge designs and examples of it can be found everywhere. The Warren Truss uses equilateral triangles to spread out the loads on the bridge. This is opposed to the Neville…
Nic’s Popsicle Stick Bridge
Nic’s design held a weight of 224kg and had a final efficiency of 1020. It did not shear or snap at any member, but bowed in the second third of member C-E. This member did have angled bracing to stop bowing and this brace did not snap it was only the glue joins in this brace that failed. The truss ballooned out at the point when 2.2kN of force was applied. It was at this point that the test was stopped
Toothpick Arch Bridge
I just completed a new toothpick bridge that’s quite different than my last one. It’s an arch made from curved trusses, formed once again with toothpicks and wood glue. This one won’t be tested either (sorry!) because it was made for a friend who creates custom action figure dioramas. But I designed the bridge to have the highest ratio of maximum load to bridge weight and some ad hoc tests made me pretty optimistic
Greentop Road Bridge
Pictures taken on October 5, 2006. This is only of the few historic bridges that is still in use. I am glad to have found it. The metal does not look in great shape, so I hope it sticks around for a while. More than that, I hope that when it is eventually replaced that … Read more
My 1st Bridge
I just found some old photos of my first ever Science Olympiad bridge from 2000. The bridge weighed 58 grams if my memory serves me well. It held the entire 15kg with ease. It probably could have held 100lbs because it was so overbuilt. This was at my first every Science Olympiad competition at Gordon … Read more
The Whooping Creek Bridge
The Whooping Creek Bridge was originally built in 1928 (According to here). Unfortunately, the bridge was closed in May of 2006 after a DOT inspection. 5 months later, no work has been done on the bridge. From what I understand, there is division on what to do with the bridge. Some people want to replace … Read more
Short Warren Truss Popsicle Bridge
This popsicle stick bridge was made from 40, unmodified popsicle sticks. The bridge spanned 12 inches, was 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide. I used only Elmer’s white glue to build the bridge. It weighed 57.4 grams (0.13 pounds), and held 90 pounds. Its efficiency score was 712.
Truss Series: Truss Design Overview
Learn all the main types of trusses used in real bridges, and see how to apply them to model bridges. Learn the history of each common truss design. This page is designed to help you make an educated decision about what truss design you should use on your bridge.