Spaghetti Bridge Building
INTRODUCTION
During this project you will incorporate many connections from “real life” mathematics.
Working in teams of 4, you will research bridge designs, building codes and rules, and then
design your own bridge to span a two-foot “canyon”. Using web sites, you will research the four
project job descriptions, choose jobs, and set salaries. Your team will design the bridge and the
team will submit a bid for the bridge’s projected cost. You will research and buy insurance and
apply for a construction permit. A computer spreadsheet is used to track costs while the
accountant writes checks for materials and posts payroll. Non-traditional tasks pop up during the
project for your team to solve. Finally, your bridge is stress-tested to determine the weight it can
hold.
Spaghetti Bridge Building
TASK & ROLES
Your team is responsible for choosing a company name and designing and building the most
efficient bridge you can out spaghetti. Be careful with your design and during the building
process as spaghetti is very fragile. But with care, your team’s finished bridge will be able to
challenge the current first place bridge built in 1999. Each team will need to choose one of the
following jobs:
General Manager:
* Will research the history of bridges and compile pictures and information describing some of
the more famous bridges ever built.
* During the building process the GM supervises all employees and makes sure all are doing
their jobs.
* Signs and approves building plans and purchase orders.
* Fills out all applications connected with the project (salary worksheet, bid worksheet,
construction permit, and insurance applications and keeps all important papers connected with
the project organized.
* Sees that construction site is maintained neatly and materials are stored safely.
* Helps construct the bridge.
* Performs the duties of anyone absent.
Engineer:
* Will research the design elements of bridges.
* Runs preliminary planning sessions with the company to decide on the general design of the
bridge.
* Draws the plans for the bridge to scale on graph paper (top, bottom, and side views).
* Fills out purchase orders for the type and quantity of materials needed, then gives them to
the accountant for further processing.
* Helps construct the bridge, making sure the plans are followed.
Carpenter:
* Will research occupations and briefs team members about their research.
* Leads planning session to set salaries.
* Delivers checks and purchase orders to the Bridges R Us warehouse and picks up supplies.
During the construction phase of the project, the carpenter is the only team member that can
leave the team’s construction site without permission.
* Helps construct the bridge.
Now, Lets Get Started – it’s pasta time to start building!
Spaghetti Bridge Building
PROCESS
Session 1
Ø
Form Teams and acquaint students with the basics of navigating around the web site.
Ø Discuss the need for the engineer to begin getting ideas for the design of the bridge his/her
team will build, and that the engineer may need to do some planning and designing outside of
class-time.
Ø
Acquaint students with the concept of the project and show the “canyon” that the bridges
must be built to span.
Session 2
Ø
Decide on the company name your team will use.
Ø
Decide on what roles each member of the team will fulfill.
Ø
GM & Engineer: Watch Bridges Video in resource list
Ø
Accountant: Research price list and skim over bid document and payee list.
Ø
Carpenter: Open the salaries document, save it to Mr. Gillett’s public folder under your
company name (ie. companynamesalaries) then begin researching the first four sites in the
Occupational Outlook Handbook listed in the resources section of this webquest. Fill in
appropriate information requested in the salaries document. Do not set salaries. Be sure to save
your salary document under your company name in the public folder.
Ø
Teams need to get back together and discuss what you’ve learned so far.
Ø
Engineers: Lead preliminary planning session on the design of your bridge.
Session 3
Ø
Carpenter: Open the salaries document, save it to Mr. Gillett’s public folder under your
company name (ie. companynamesalaries) then begin researching the first four sites in the
Occupational Outlook Handbook listed in the resources section of this webquest. Fill in
appropriate information requested in the salaries document. Do not set salaries. Be sure to save
your salary document under your company name in the public folder. On the salary document,
recommend a monthly salary for each person in your construction company. These salaries must
be based upon real life salaries that you have been researching. When finished, print a hardcopy
of the salary document with only the monthly salaries entered. Give this hardcopy to your
general manager to turn in to Mr. Gillett.
Ø
Accountant: All accountants need to get together and skim over the bid document that Mr.
Gillett prepared for his bridge. Once finished looking over the example bid document, you may
begin designing your company’s personalized checks using any software program we have
available. Create a master sheet that has three checks on one sheet of paper. This will be used to
run off more checks as you need them. Mr. Gillett has examples from past years if you would
like to see them. Run off the master sheet of checks by the end of class and turn it in.
Ø
General Manager: Read bbrules, pickup five pages of graph paper for the engineer from
Mr. Gillett, then help the engineer begin designing bridge on graph paper. The engineer must
have a top view, side view, and an end view of the bridge drawn in ink on graph paper for
session 4, in addition to an approximate number of spaghetti sticks that will be needed for the
bridge. Before the end of class, turn in the salary document that the carpenter is preparing.
Ø
Engineer: Read bbcode, get a free stick of spaghetti from Mr. Gillett, get a meter stick so
you can take measurements from the “canyon”, then work with the general manager to begin
designing the bridge on graph paper. The engineer must have a top view, side view, and an end
view of the bridge drawn in ink on graph paper for session 4 (you may view examples from past
years teams in the black 3-ring binders that Mr. Gillett will provide), in addition to an
approximate number of spaghetti sticks that will be needed for the bridge.
Sessions
4 and 5
Ø
Engineer and General Manager: Pick up your copy of Mr. G’s old bid sheet example and
use this as a guide to finish your bid sheet. Save your bid sheet under my public folder in your
company’s folder. This must be done by the end of session 5.
Ø
Carpenter: Finish the salary worksheet and, with the consent of the other team members,
set the salaries for your group. Save your salary sheet under my public folder in your company’s
folder. This must be done by the end of session 5.
Ø
Accountant and General Manager: Pick up five copies of the counter checks and five
copies of the purchase orders. Get with Mr. G. and he will tell you how to fill them out. These
must be correctly done in black or blue ink or your company may be fined by the Bridge Police!
Complete the forms to apply for insurance and your construction permit. Save your construction
permit sheet and your construction permit sheet under my public folder in your company’s
folder. This must be done by the end of session 5. Check the accountant’s payee list to find who
the PO and checks must be written to. Continue working on personalized company checks once
you have stapled the PO’s for insurance and permit to their checks.
Ø
General Manager: You can not leave until your company’s materials are properly put
away. Next session will be “Building Session 1”.
Ø
ALSO: Your group must begin building next session. To make it easier to start, the
accountant should fill out PO’s and checks to buy any materials (steel beams, welder rent,
welding material, knife rent and anything else desired) needed to start building immediately next
session.
Session 6
Building Day 1
Ø To stay on time, your group should begin building this session. All paperwork must be
submitted prior to building (1. bid sheet; 2. construction permit, check, and PO; 3. insurance
application, check, and PO). To get building supplies your group and it’s accountant should fill
out PO’s and checks to buy any materials (steel beams, welder rent, welding material, knife rent
and anything else desired) needed to start building. Today is also considered Building Day 1, so
each person will earn their monthly salary for today’s work – this will be called PAYROLL ONE
– I will get with accountants when time permits to show them how to complete payroll.
Ø
Also, general managers must be certain construction sites are clean and all materials are put
away properly.
Session 7
Building Day 2
Ø
If all paperwork has not been properly submitted, your team must continue working on that.
Today is day 2 of building so the accountant should complete payroll 2 and update their records.
Ø
When building, try to build several parts of the bridge at the same time so that effort is
maximized.
Ø
Engineers should leave their plans at the conclusion of class today so that they can be
laminated. They will be returned to your teams for day 3 of building.
Session 8
Building Day 3
Ø
Continue building. Accountants should probably fill out the necessary paperwork to
purchase your team’s loading platform and hook. Your laminated plans should be ready today.
Session 9
Building Day 4
Ø
Continue building. Accountants should be caught up with payroll 4 by now.
Session 10
Building Day 5
Ø
Continue building. Beware the Bridge Police – don’t forget that accountants should be
using blue or black ink, keeping proper track of the check numbers, and filling out forms
correctly or they will fined by the Bridge Police!
Ø
The first week of Knife and Welder Rental is over today and the second week’s rental is
due payable to the proper company in order to utilize welders and knives on day 6 of building.
Session 11
Building Day 6
Ø
Continue Building. Accountants should be caught up with payroll 6 by today.
Session 12
Building Day 7
Ø
Continue Building. General Managers should pay close attention to the limitations on
bridge height and width so that their team is not in violation of the building code.
Session 13
Building Day 8
Ø
Continue Building.
Ø
Teams have a surprise charge today from the custodial firm of Marlene, Incorporated for
custodial services. Accountants should pay this fee as well as continue to complete the
appropriate payroll.
Session 14
Building Day 9
Ø
Continue Building.
Ø
Loading platforms and hooks and highway should be purchased today. Order your
highway by the centimeter.
Ø
Accountants are responsible for keeping their records up to date. Each team’s records
should show how much money they have left as of today.
Session 15
Building Day 10
Ø
The second week of Knife and Welder Rental is over today and the final two days’ rental is
due payable to the proper company in order to utilize welders and knives on day 11 of building.
Session 16
Building Day 11
Ø
Continue building.
Ø
Bridge inspection should be ordered today since this is the day preceeding the final day of
building.
Ø
Accountants should have payrolls complete through today’s building day number 11.
Session 17
Building Day 12
Ø
Today is the final day of building. Congratulations! Your bridges will be completed by the
end of today’s period.
Spaghetti Bridge Building
EVALUATION
The chart below shows how your grade will be determined.
Company __________________________
GM_______________
Eng_______________
Team Members
Acc_______________
Carp_______________
Possible
Points
I.
Bridge Design & Plans
A. Neatness of Constructed Bridge
100
_____
Does the bridge sag? Is it level? Was an excessive amount of glue used?
B. Accuracy of Bridge to Plans
100
_____
How well did the group follow and stick to their plans? Does the finished bridge look like the
plans?
C. Bridge Design
100
_____
Is the basic design a good, strong design according to sound physics principles? (subtract 10 pts
for each building code or rule violation)
D. Economy of Bridge Design
100
_____
Teams were given 1.5 million dollars to build the bridge. Did they make a profit after expenses?
Is the amount of money the group spent reflected in the quality and looks of the completed
bridge?
II.
Bridge Strength
A. Weight of the Bridge
________________grams
400
_____
B. Weight held by Bridge
________________grams
C. Weight held per Gram
________________grams
III. Records & Teamwork
A. General Managers
100
_____
Bid $_____________
Paid $
1,500,000
- Actual $_____________
- Actual $_____________
% Off ___________%
Profit or Loss $_____________
B. Accountants
100
_____
_____ Fines times –4% each
_____ Audits times –15% each
=======
=======
Grand Total
1,000