The West Virginia Department of Transportation recently highlighted the student teams that took home top honors at the 2024 West Virginia Bridge Design & Build Contest, held April 6 at the West Virginia University Institute of Technology’s Beckley campus.
[Above photo by WVDOT]
Some 38 student teams from 21 counties across the state participated in the 2024 competition, which pits middle school and high school students against one another in both computer software and balsa wood model events to see who can come up with the most cost-effective and sturdiest bridge designs.
[Editor’s note: The video below from the 2023 competition highlights the challenges the student teams face over the course of the day-long bridge design and build event.]
The contest – sponsored by WVDOT, BridgeWalk, the West Virginia Department of Education, and WVU Tech – is designed to encourage the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM disciplines and inspire students to become civil and transportation engineers, WVDOT noted in a statement.
In the 2024 event, first place in the software design contest went to students from Eastern Greenbrier Middle School in the middle school division and to students from PikeView High School in the high school division. Those two schools also won first place in the balsa wood bridge competition as well.
In all, PikeView Middle School or High School students took home five awards, while students from Eastern Greenbrier Middle School took home three awards.
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