This event is a hands-on engineering competition aimed to engage students interested in the math, science, and engineering fields. The program is designed to encourage middle school and high school students to address real-world problems and inspire them to consider careers in transportation and civil engineering. Students will be assigned a specific bridge type and tasked to prepare a research-based proposal, design and detail drawings using Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) software, create a balsa wood bridge model, and develop and present a PowerPoint presentation. The balsa wood bridge model will also be tested on the day of the competition. The Delaware Bridge Design Competition and all associated software and materials are FREE to all participating students. For more information, please see the tabs below.
Note: Video from the 2019 Bridge Design Competition Delaware Bridge Design Competion Promotional Video
About the Competition
The competition will consist of four stages:
- Research-Based Proposal
- CAD-Developed Drawings
- Oral Presentation
- Bridge Testing
Prior to the in-person event, teams must submit both the proposal and the CAD drawings by the specified deadlines posted under the Schedule tab. The proposal should be research-based, explaining the scientific principles behind the specified bridge type. The CAD drawings will be scaled details representing their design. On the day of the competition, teams will present a ten (10) minute PowerPoint presentation and test their bridges for structural integrity against other teams within their grade bracket from across the state. See the Guidelines tab for more details. Interested teams should fill out the registration form under the Registration tab.
Please note, the proposal will act as a qualifier for the remaining stages (drawing & presentation) and the final scoring of the competition. The proposal offers teams an opportunity to prove their merit for competing. However, all teams are encouraged to attend and participate in bridge testing on the day of competition, regardless of proposal qualification.
Challenge: An engineer’s job is to not only design a safe bridge to carry required loads, but also to make sure that it is cost effective (minimize materials needed to hold the desired load). To simulate this process, teams will use the following strength-to-weight ratio calculation to develop a bridge that carries a high load capacity relative to the bridge weight. Carrying a huge load may not be advantageous from a scoring standpoint if the bridge is excessively heavy. Strength-to-weight ratio is determined by dividing the maximum load carried by the weight of bridge.
Supply Kit: Materials will be provided to each team to begin their project. Only materials included can be used in the construction of the bridge. The materials will be delivered to each competing school by a DelDOT Bridge Design representative. Materials provided are listed below.
- Balsa Wood
- Ruler
- Long Pins
- Drafting Paper S-Hook
- U-Bolt Bracket
- Wax Paper
- Super Glue
- Painter’s Bucket
- Measuring Cup
- Timber Cutter
- X-Acto Knife
Scoring: A weighted combination of the scores for the proposal, drawings, presentation, and bridge testing will be used to determine a winner in each grade bracket. Rubrics for grading and weighted scoring information are posted under the Guidelines tab. It is important to note that while this is a bridge-building competition, multiple scoring components—beyond just bridge performance—contribute to determining the overall winner. A well-performing structure is only part of the scoring, so emphasis should be placed on all sections of the competition.
Awards: Top 3 finishers for EACH grade bracket will receive scholarship money donated by the Delaware Bridge Design Competition Sponsors. All participants will receive participation medals, Metal Earth 3D bridge models, and assorted DelDOT gear.
Registration
Eligibility: Students eligible range from 7th – 12th grade and attend a school located in Delaware. The Delaware Bridge Design Competition is designed for teams of three (3) students to participate. While schools should strive to create teams of three (3) students, the Delaware Bridge Design Competition is an inclusive event and will accommodate teams of two (2) or four (4) as well. Teams of one (1) or larger than four (4) students will not be accepted.
Teams should register based on their grade level and will compete against other teams from the same grade bracket.
- 7th & 8th
- 9th & 10th
- 11th & 12th
Teachers can register teams by clicking the link below. The link will open a new tab where teachers can fill out the appropriate information for participating teams and students. If you have any questions regarding registration, please reach out to Nicholas Dean (contact information provided below).
Note: All registered teams are invited to attend the competition day to test their bridges. However, only teams with qualified proposals are required to develop design drawings and deliver an oral presentation, and only these teams will be included in the final scoring to determine the overall winner.
Schedule
We are pleased to be holding the 2025 Delaware Bridge Design Competition at POLYTECH High School in Woodside, DE.
- January 24th: Final Registrations Due
- February 21st: Proposals Due by 5pm
- March 28th: Drawings Due by 5pm
- April 10th: Competition Day
Please feel free to contact us about any other outreach activities you may have planned. Our engineers will gladly speak to students about bridges, engineering, or STEM in general. Contact information can be found at the bottom of this page.
POLYTECH High School
823 Walnut Shade Rd
Woodside, DE 19980
Guidelines
BRIDGE TYPE
Middle School: Truss Bridge
High School: Deck Arch Truss Bridge
Proposal Guidelines (All Grade Brackets)
Teams must submit a proposal outlining the project objective, presenting engineering research findings related to bridge design and performance, and detailing the project plan for the duration of the project, as the proposal serves as a qualifier for the competition.
Bridge Guidelines
Teams will design and build a balsa wood bridge model of the specified bridge type and meet the required specifications. The bridges will be weighed and tested to calculate a strength-to-weight ratio.
Drawing Guidelines (All Grade Brackets)
Teams will develop design drawings using CAD software. The drawings should include scaled details of the plan, section, and elevation views.
Oral Presentation Guidelines (All Grade Brackets)
Teams will present an 8 to 10-minute PowerPoint presentation to a panel of judges consisting of various engineers, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session. The presentation should introduce the team and cover key elements from the proposal, including engineering principles, design challenges, iterations between software and trial bridges, testing procedures, results, and the project schedule.
Scoring
|
Middle School |
High School |
||
|
Proposal |
20% |
Proposal |
20% |
|
Drawings |
Extra Credit |
Drawings |
20% |
|
Oral Presentation |
20% |
Oral Presentation |
20% |
|
Bridge Performance |
60% |
Bridge Performance |
40% |
Suggestions and Helpful Hints
Software
Design Drawings
Autodesk AutoCAD is the recommended software for developing design drawings. Similar software is acceptable if requirements outlined in the Design Drawing Specifications are fulfilled. Autodesk provides free educational access to their software for students and educators with confirmed eligibility. See Getting Access to Autodesk Education Portal to get started.
Guide
Below are guides and websites to help teams develop their design drawings. YouTube is also another great resource. If you have any questions regarding the software or design drawings, please reach out to Lucy Xu at Lucy.Xu@delaware.gov.
Fusion 360
Online Resources
Design Simulations
The Bridge Designer software can be used by teams to simulate bridge designs. The link below can be used to download The Bridge Designer software.
FAQs
Schools should strive to create teams of 3 students,however the Delaware Bridge Design Competition is an inclusive event and will accommodate teams of 2 or 4 as well. Teams can be no larger than 4 students.
If a team member must withdraw from their team, please contact us immediately. Depending on the time of withdrawal, the team may be able to add a replacement member to their team.
If an entire team is unable to participate, please contact us immediately. Depending on the time of withdrawal, the school may incur a penalty for failing to compete after a registration.
The material kits will be shipped to registered schools by the specified date on the Bridge Design Competition web page. Additionally, there is no required payment from teams or schools to receive the material kits.
Please visit the Bridge Design Competition web page under the Schedule tab for information on when material kits will be shipped. Standard shipping times of 5-10 business days can be applied to this date.
Teams may only use materials included in the supplied material kit for construction of the bridge. Tools such as cutters, snips, and pins will be supplied, however teams may use their own tools to construct the bridge.
Sponsorships
Please reach out to Nicholas Dean if you'd like to be a sponsor!
PLATINUM
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
A special thanks to Delaware T2/LTAP Center, DelDOT Administrative Support, Finance, Office of Civil Rights, and all our volunteers!
ADMINISTRATIVE
FINANCE
SUPPORT
Previous Competitions
Internship Opportunities
If you are a junior or senior in high school and are specifically interested in an internship position with The Delaware Department of Transportation Bridge Design section, please contact Sean Weaver sean.weaver@delaware.gov for more information.
Contact Us
Bridge Design Project Engineer
Delaware Department of Transportation
302.760.2318
Bridge Design Project Engineer
Delaware Department of Transportation
302.760.2493
