Bridge building competition at YSU introduces high schoolers to civil engineering

The 12th annual miniature bridge building competition at Youngstown State had another crowded field looking to complete the challenge. Thirty teams representing 16 high schools were given the same materials to build a balsa wood bridge. They had three hours to make a design spanning at least 12 inches.
The bridges are tested to see how much of a load they can handle before failing. There's a lot of innovative designs. They've, over the years, made them a little better, seen where they can press up against the molding and get more support on the bridge, said Assistant Professor of Engineering Technology Joe Sansone.
A team from Ursuline High School was the overall winner this year. Lowellville had two teams win awards for their designs. The competition started in 2008, with county engineers from Mahoning and Trumbull counties working alongside YSU to expose high school students to civil engineering.