Trans-Tasman competition inspires future engineers

MEDIA RELEASE

4 April 2012

Aurecon launches 2012 schools bridge building competition

Trans-Tasman competition inspires future engineers

Aurecon, a top engineering, technical and management consultancy, today launched its 2012 Bridge Building Competition for secondary school students across New Zealand and Australia.

In response to the competition’s increasing popularity, additional events will be held this year in Christchurch and the Northern Territory.

Last year, the event doubled in size with over 1000 students registering for the competition. The winner of the 2011 Trans-Tasman prize, first-time entrant King’s College in Auckland, built a bridge out of balsa wood, string, cardboard and glue, which held a massive load of 128kg.

Using materials and guidelines supplied by Aurecon, year 9 and 10 students design and build model bridges in teams of three. The bridges will be tested to destruction on ‘judging day’ in August to see which one holds the greatest weight. The competition will be held in 11 locations in 2012, including Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in New Zealand.

Bill Cox, General Manager, Australia and New Zealand, Aurecon says, “By introducing engineering to students in a fun and practical way, we hope to inspire them to consider engineering as a career in the future.”

“With ongoing shortages of technical and engineering skills in New Zealand, the aim of the bridge building competition is to show students at an early stage, when they can still choose science and maths electives, that these subjects can be enjoyable and challenging,” says Mr Cox.

Schools assemble at designated locations across Australia and New Zealand on ‘judging day’ from 2-10 August, where the bridges are load-tested to destruction to the cheers of the crowd. Bridge design experts from Aurecon and its clients assess the bridges for workmanship, creativity and visual appeal to determine the overall score.

Entry is free and cash prizes are awarded to schools and students with the highest scoring bridges at each event.

Bryan Sapsworth, King’s College’s Head of Department for Physics, said “The students really enjoy making something with their hands, and beating the Aussies. They have no idea what engineering really is until they see the engineers themselves and talk with them.”

Mr Cox adds, “Supported by industry sponsors, the Aurecon Bridge Building Competition helps to raise awareness of the role of engineering in the community.”

Online registration is now open.

ENDS

About the Aurecon Bridge Building Competition

• There are eleven events scheduled to take place in various locations across Australia and New Zealand during August 2012 (refer table below).

• Sponsors include Abigroup Limited, Civil Mining and Construction Pty Ltd, Cement Australia Scienceworks, St Laurence’s College, Museum of Tropical Queensland and Central Queensland University.

• Schools can register at www.aurecongroup.com/buildingbridges and check locations, dates and conditions of entry.

• Each of the bridges entered are to be constructed during school hours from materials supplied by Aurecon: 8 balsa wood sticks 6.5mm x 6.5mm x 580mm long; 8 balsa wood sticks 6.5mm x 6.5mm x 335mm long; 1 cardboard tube 60d x 60l (mm); 1 tube of quick drying epoxy glue and 1 piece of 5m long string.

• The competition complements Aurecon’s efforts to promote the engineering profession to secondary school students.

• Read about last year’s competition.

• View footage of last year’s competitions in Sydney and Brisbane.

• View a highlights package of the 2010 competition.

Event Date Venue
Auckland Friday 10 August Auckland Museum
Christchurch Tuesday 7 August Addington Raceway
New South Wales Friday 10 August Art Gallery of New South Wales
Northern Territory Friday 10 August TBC
Queensland (Central) Friday 10 August Central Queensland University
Queensland (North) Wednesday 8 August Museum of Tropical Queensland
Queensland (South-East) Monday 6 August St Laurence’s College
South Australia Tuesday 7 August Art Gallery of South Australia
Victoria Wednesday 8 August Scienceworks Museum
Wellington Thursday 2 August Te Papa Museum
Western Australia Wednesday 8 August WA Maritime Museum

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