Your mission: build a new bridge for The Mountain Winery using only the materials provided. The catch, your bridge must be high enough for The Mountain Winery Truck to pass under, yet strong enough to withstand the weight of the wine barrel. Are you up for the challenge?
Objective One: Construct the Bridge
Guidelines:
- The bridge must touch the colored blocks on the base...nothing else!
- Once constructed, the bridge must be high enough to accommodate The Mountain Winery delivery truck.
- The bridge must be strong enough to withstand the weight of the wine barrel.
- The bridge must stand completely on its own.
Building Tips:
- Assemble small sections, then connect the small sections together
- The toothpicks are fragile...gentle pressure is the key! It is easier to push the toothpick into the cork if you follow the grain of the cork.
- Use the spike to make a hole in the cork for your toothpick. Once you get the hang of it, multiple toothpicks can be inserted at once.
- Try setting multiple toothpicks in one cork before connecting the second cork.
- You may want to read ahead to learn more about the tower...perhaps your team can divide and conquer by working on the tower and the bridge simultaneously?
Things to Keep in Mind:
- Feel free to improve upon the design to make your bridge stronger.
- If you are pinched for time, a large portion of the structure can be omitted and it should still support some weight.
- The sample bridge was built by one person in just over 22 minutes.
Objective Two: Construct the Tower
Guidelines:
- Using the materials provided, construct a tower on the foundation provided.
- The tower may extend horizontally from the base, but not below it.
- The tower will be measured from the base to the highest point.
- The tower must be stable and stand on its own during the measuring process.
Judging Rules
At the close of the round, all bridges must support the weight of the Wine Barrel and be tall enough for The Mountain Winery truck to pass underneath. Bridges that meet these requirements will be tested for strength by pouring water into the Wine Barrel until the bridge falls. We will then measure and record the weight of the water the bridge supported. Each team's score will be determined by multiplying the weight of the water supported by the height of the tower. If the bridge cannot support the weight of the Wine Barrel, the multiplier for the tower will be one. The bridge and the tower must be completed by the end of the time limit.
For groups of 20+ people - $ 12.50 per person - duration 1 -2 hours.
For a private tour, consultation, or additional information, please call our corporate sales department.
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