How to Build a Balsa Wood Bridge
Choose your materials., Create a rough draft drawing of your bridge., Draw your final draft.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose your materials.
Before you begin the planning phase of building your bridge, you’ll want to ensure that you have all the materials that you will need.
You’ll need balsa wood for your structure.
Before you buy the wood sheets, estimate how large your bridge will be.
With these dimensions, overestimate how much wood you’ll need; it’s best to have some extra.
Balsa wood is affordable and strong.Look for a medium- to high-density balsa.
If you can’t find it in your local hobby store, order it online.
For planning, you will need large-sized 1/8-inch graph paper, a pencil and eraser, and a ruler.
To assemble your balsa bridge, you’ll need sewing pins, a large piece of foam board, a wood cutter, parchment paper, and masking tape. -
Step 2: Create a rough draft drawing of your bridge.
You don’t have to use graph paper for this draft.
Draw both the side and top views of your bridge.
Feel free to make as many rough drafts as you need to.
There are several types of bridge construction.Think about what you want yours to look like.
Most balsa bridges are types of truss bridges or arch bridges, as the wood lends itself well to this type of construction.
Plus, these are two of the simpler types of bridges to engineer.
Truss bridges are type of beam bridge supported by crossing posts above the bridge, and arch bridges are supported by large arches below the roadway of the bridge.
Trusses have triangular frames of varying frequencies.Different types of bridges carry loads differently.When thinking about your design, you can build your own based on a type of bridge, e.g. truss or arch, or simply find a template for the type of bridge you want to build online and print this instead of using your drawings. , After you finish your rough draft and decide what type of bridge to create, use it to make a scaled rough draft.
Draw both the sides of your bridge with the trusses included to scale and the overhead view of your bridge.
You want your drawing to be the actual size that you want your balsa bridge to be, not a scaled-down drawing.
It’s fine if it takes up the entire sheet of graph paper.
On the side-view drawing, write in all the measurements for easier cutting.
If you plan to enter your bridge into a competition, like the Science Olympiad, make sure you comply with any competition-specific regulations or dimensions. -
Step 3: Draw your final draft.
Detailed Guide
Before you begin the planning phase of building your bridge, you’ll want to ensure that you have all the materials that you will need.
You’ll need balsa wood for your structure.
Before you buy the wood sheets, estimate how large your bridge will be.
With these dimensions, overestimate how much wood you’ll need; it’s best to have some extra.
Balsa wood is affordable and strong.Look for a medium- to high-density balsa.
If you can’t find it in your local hobby store, order it online.
For planning, you will need large-sized 1/8-inch graph paper, a pencil and eraser, and a ruler.
To assemble your balsa bridge, you’ll need sewing pins, a large piece of foam board, a wood cutter, parchment paper, and masking tape.
You don’t have to use graph paper for this draft.
Draw both the side and top views of your bridge.
Feel free to make as many rough drafts as you need to.
There are several types of bridge construction.Think about what you want yours to look like.
Most balsa bridges are types of truss bridges or arch bridges, as the wood lends itself well to this type of construction.
Plus, these are two of the simpler types of bridges to engineer.
Truss bridges are type of beam bridge supported by crossing posts above the bridge, and arch bridges are supported by large arches below the roadway of the bridge.
Trusses have triangular frames of varying frequencies.Different types of bridges carry loads differently.When thinking about your design, you can build your own based on a type of bridge, e.g. truss or arch, or simply find a template for the type of bridge you want to build online and print this instead of using your drawings. , After you finish your rough draft and decide what type of bridge to create, use it to make a scaled rough draft.
Draw both the sides of your bridge with the trusses included to scale and the overhead view of your bridge.
You want your drawing to be the actual size that you want your balsa bridge to be, not a scaled-down drawing.
It’s fine if it takes up the entire sheet of graph paper.
On the side-view drawing, write in all the measurements for easier cutting.
If you plan to enter your bridge into a competition, like the Science Olympiad, make sure you comply with any competition-specific regulations or dimensions.
About the Author
Virginia Martin
With a background in digital media and internet, Virginia Martin brings 14 years of hands-on experience to every article. Virginia believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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