The International Conference on Timber Bridges, to be held in Rotorua, New Zealand, in June, will include a competition for design and building of model timber bridges.

Several groups of young engineers, including both professional engineers and students, will be given only one day to construct a model bridge of their own design, for display at the conference. Each team will have young professional engineers supported by engineering students.

Each model bridge will be a 1:20 scale model of a 32-metre span timber highway bridge. The participants will be given a limited amount of material, including small sticks of pine, some wire and screws, and plywood decking.

The bridge competition is being sponsored by Red Stag TimberLab, who will provide materials, supervision, and the venue for construction of the model bridges. Red Stag TimberLab sponsoring director, Jason Cordes says “Red Stag is excited to be part of the International Timber Bridge Conference and bridge building competition. It is great to see engineers embracing timber in innovative new designs to create lighter, more sustainable bridge solutions”.

The bridges will be tested to destruction on the last day of the conference. Prizes will be awarded, based on structural performance, innovation and creativity.

Read more:
5th International Conference on Timber Bridges

Image: Arad Bay Bridge, Kingdom of Bahrain (Credit: Red Stag TimberLab)