Students in Hallmark Mechanical Engineering put their skills to the test, designing and building truss bridges based on concepts they explored during a unit on statics, or how force and torque act on systems and structures. Their mission? Span a gap of 1.2 meters with a bridge no longer than 1.4 meters. There was no limit on height. Collaboration was key to picking a unique truss design.

Working in teams of three, wearing DIY work aprons, and cutting their trusses on pink miter boxes they designed and printed on the 3D printer in the Hopper Lab(!), students used wooden dowels, thin sheets of plywood, and glue to build their designs. The students then tested which span could hold the most weight before collapsing.

Recording their progress in engineering notebooks as they worked, students had to submit a final Engineering Report, defining the design problem, constraints, criteria for success, background research, and data they used to optimize their design. They also asked to justify their design choices, providing not only reasons why they selected a particular method, but also explaining why they decided against other options.

Students in this yearlong course use projects to explore the engineering design process, fabrication, manufacturing, and construction. Applying as they go an understanding of physics, mathematics, electricity, and CAD to enhance solutions, some of them might go on to help bridge the gender gap in STEM careers!