Bridge Design Competition

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 use Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and 3-D modeling software to design and detail plans for a truss bridge. Students will use their design to create a balsa wood model. Participants will develop a portfolio and PowerPoint presentation outlining their design. Their bridge models 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, see the Delaware Bridge Design Competition Guidelines below.

Note: Video from the 2019 Bridge Design Competition

Schedule

We are pleased to be hosting the 2023 Bridge Competition in-person at the Chase Center in Wilmington, DE.

April 27th Competition Day
April 19th Proposals Due by 5pm

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.

Chase Center on the Riverfront
815 Justison St.
Wilmington, DE 19801

Registration

We are taking a different approach with registration for this year’s competition. In an attempt to simplify and streamline the process, teachers will fill out the registration by clicking the link below. The link will open a new tab where schools can register each of their participating students and teams. Teachers will be able to register all participating students/teams by simply filling out the appropriate information on the site. If you have any questions in regards to registration, please reach out to Nicholas Dean (contact information provided below).

Bridge Design Competition Registration

Design/Build Challenge

Given the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, we've decided to reduce the three groups of competition grades into two, middle school and high school. Please refer to the competition guidelines for further information.

Supplies Provided
- Balsa Wood
- Super Glue
*See Guidelines for Items Specific to Your Design/Build Challenge*
Awards
- Top 3 finishers at EACH grade-level will receive scholarship money donated by the Delaware Bridge Design Competition Sponsors.
- All Participants will receive:
  - Participation Medals
  - MetalEarth 3-D Bridge Model
  - Assorted DelDOT gear

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.

Internship Application

Resources

Software
The resources provided below are designed to help aid with the use of the software provided for the competition. If these resources do not help to answer your questions, it is highly recommended that you search for the topic in question on YouTube. YouTube provides many helpful step-by-step tutorials for all of the software offered by the competition.
- Computer Aided Drafting
  Autodesk provides free educational access to their software for students and educators who are eligible. Below is a list of recommended software provided by Autodesk to aid in the creation of 2D drawings. A guide on how to gain access to the Autodesk education portal to download their software is also included. If your school already has another drafting software (ie. Powerdraft) and would prefer to use it, that is acceptable.
  - Software Guidelines
    - Getting Access to Autodesk Education Portal
    - Fusion 360
      - Getting Started with Fusion 360
      - Example Drawings
    - AutoCAD
      - Getting Started with AutoCAD
      - Example Drawings
    - Online Tutorials
      - Learning Courses | Autodesk
      - Fusion 360 Help | Self-paced learning for Fusion 360 | Autodesk
Learn more about the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
West Point Bridge Designer
Proposals
- The following proposals are examples of past teams that have performed well in the proposal portion of the competition. All work submitted in the competition MUST be the student’s and team’s own work. It is strongly encouraged to add additional pertinent information to proposals. This will add substance to the proposal report and result in a higher score.
- JNM Engineering - Caravel Academy Proposal
- Shockwave - CR High School Proposal
- The Powerpuff Girls - MOT Charter Proposal
Presentation
- Example PowerPoint
- Example Presentations
  - DelDOT Bridge Competition Presentation

News

The 2023 Bridge Competition will be held in-person this year. Refer to this tab for further updates

April 27th - In-person Competition Day
April 19th - Proposals Due by 5pm

This year’s competition will be held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington

Chase Center on the Riverfront
815 Justison St.
Wilmington, DE 19801

Sponsorships

FAQs

+ Is it possible to have a team of less than three members? What about more than three members?

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.

+ What happens if a team member is no longer able to participate?

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.

+ What happens if an entire team is no longer able to participate?

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.

+ Are the teams/school responsible for picking up the supply kits?

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.

+ When will the supply kit arrive?

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.

+ Can teams use their own tools and materials to construct the bridge?

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.