Spaghetti Bridges

  • Thread starter Thread starter Thio
  • 32 comments
  • 4,882 views
Thio

Thio

Messages
3,422
Hello people,

I have to build a bridge for a physics project out of spaghetti. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to build a bridge? Please help me :)

We can use regular spaghetti, but no specialty pasta like the "Long Tube" and we can't use any special glue like epoxy. I'll update on this more later :)

span: 50 cm
width: 25cm max
max weight: 2lbs

Thio
 
Well, certainly don't get it wet :)

My suggestion is to do it one of two ways, build a suspension bridge or a girder.

AO
 
Uh...Hide some metal tubing inside the spaghetti. I honestly don't believe that any amount of spaghetti could withstand 75 pounds.
 
Well I had to do this in Gr. 7 for a Science class project, and my group failed horribly. Good Luck. Your going to need it.
 
If your using spaghetti bolognese style then i have some info. I take it you know the basics of bridge building i.e using V's to support your main structure.Spaghetti for bolognese is really light and strong if used in small pieces. basically whereever there are two long pieces of spaghetti opposite eachother, put V's in between them. Not sure what type of glue you can use. If you wet pasta and leave it to dry it can become sticky, enabling you to put them together. Have a play around though!
 
Originally posted by Der Alta
Well, certainly don't get it wet :)

My suggestion is to do it one of two ways, build a suspension bridge or a girder.

AO
Click to expand...

We can't cook the spaghetti either lol
 
Can you use as much spaghetti as you want? If so just make a whole bunch of spaghetti glued and bundled up or something.

Just a suggestion.
 
hmm a spaggetti bridge. i biult a bridge out of k'nex that withstood 160 lbs for a science fair. What kind of spaggetti? the hair kind or the elbo kind?
 
its really not that hard, 2 pounds Max??? thats a lot, i had to do something liek the similirly in woods, class, and mine held 80 pounds, just remember that the Triangle is the second strongest shape, so use it in the building of the bridge.
 
i had to do it with 1/8 -1/4 inch thick sticks of ultra weak balsa wood in grade 5...ours did 5 pounds i think :D. had to be built in the same day using elmers glue only. so, it coulda been stronger if we had better glue
 
Originally posted by Attila_Da_Hun
hmm a spaggetti bridge. i biult a bridge out of k'nex that withstood 160 lbs for a science fair. What kind of spaggetti? the hair kind or the elbo kind?
Click to expand...

We can use any kind of spaghetti that can be found in a local grocery store, like fettuccine, spaghetti, penne rigate, stuff like that.

Originally posted by xAkirax2004
Can you use as much spaghetti as you want? If so just make a whole bunch of spaghetti glued and bundled up or something.

Just a suggestion.
Click to expand...

Well, the bridge has to hold up to 75 pounds, so I don't know how that would be made.

Originally posted by hanker
just remember that the Triangle is the second strongest shape, so use it in the building of the bridge.
Click to expand...

What about arch bridges?
 
u mean suspension bridge? they are the strongest, but back up the suspension with triangles underneath. also, suspension might be the most complex of them to build since u gotta make it arch in the first place.

if you ARE going for suspension, i'd suggest rather than an arch, try a triangle for the "suspendor" part of it. that'd be easier to build and should have the same basic strength. if thats not strong enuf, back up the triangle supports with 2 more coming from the base @ the center of the bridge to the center of the support...something like that? except u'd have verticle supports as well to hold up the bridge part


edit...my ascii art failed :p
 
Originally posted by hanker
[...] just remember that the Triangle is the second strongest shape, so use it in the building of the bridge.
Click to expand...
For a spaghetti bridge, yes it might be a better choice, but actually it's not always the best choice when building a bridge... For my 8th grade science project, I had to build a bridge out of wood that was as light as possible, but could support 25 lbs. I eventually settled on an arch design, with "suspension" pieces going straight down, and I won the contest. (Yay for Sage!)

So, I'd recommend that you try a suspension-style bridge, as emad has said... the spaghetti is less likely to break when being pulled straight down than if it had a force pulling down on it while at an angle.

Of course, you'd probably best follow Der Alta's advice, since he's an architect. ;)
 
How much did your's hold, and how much did it weigh?
Mine was 500/1 weight ratio. I can't remember how much it held, exactly. I prestressed it. Which was difficult, since it could only be done a small amount as a car had to be able to roll across it without aid with only a 15 degree incline.
 
Originally posted by Timmotheus
How much did your's hold, and how much did it weigh?
Click to expand...
Held exactly 25 lbs. (it started to crack right then), but I honestly don't have a clue how much it weighed.
 
Thank you for all the suggestions. I'll take pictures of the bridge before and after the breaking point after Thanksgiving, since our class is going to test the group bridges. This'll be fun :)
 
Originally posted by Acidman
Actually Hanker, it has to withstand 75 Puonds.
Click to expand...

When i referring to 2 pounds max, thats the weight of the whole structure, not what it has to hold, but dont worry, i forgive you for misunderstanding me.
 
Originally posted by spike10h
EASY.......just make alot of triangles /\_/\_/\_/\
Click to expand...

That's what I did :)

Here's how my bridge looks like:
fa6bff22.jpg


The bridge weighs around 1.75 pounds with spaghetti in the rigatoni and penne, rigatoni as the base and penne for the rest. Any comments?

Our class has to test the bridges tomorrow in class. I wonder how everyone elses looks like :trouble:
 
Originally posted by Thio


The bridge weighs around 1.75 pounds with spaghetti in the rigatoni and penne, rigatoni as the base and penne for the rest. Any comments?
Click to expand...


There's a bridge in that picture? All I see is that 911 on the right.

Seriously though, the bridge looks good. Let us know how it holds up and if it doesn't, post after-pictures.


-Mark
 
Pretty cool, im doing a similar project in english, except its a tower and built ou tof popsicle stickes. I estmate mine will hold around 140 lbs.
 
i also need 2 build a bridge. i am going to use triangles on the top. doing internet searches i found out that a triangle support on the BOTTOM wil hold more. im am planning on doing both. which would hold better. top bottom or both?
 

Latest Posts

Back