Just Smashing!

A big annual event wrapped up recently for the Green Bay area office. All the eighth-graders at Parkview Middle School in Ashwaubenon built towers out of balsa wood and glue, trying to get their designs to support the equivalent of their own weight. Plans were finalized and approved by our engineers, and students then had a week or so to construct the towers.

The contest challenges students to build a 30-inch tower using less than 2 ounces of balsa wood and then test its strength by piling weights on top. By competing, students learn concepts of structural engineering along with the importance of teamwork.

At this year’s contest no one was able to come close to the record for weight held, which is about 180 pounds. This year’s top weight held was 86.5 pounds. The top ratio (weight held divided by weight of the tower) was 67.17 – that was a tower weighing 0.99 ounce that held 66.5 pounds.

Check out videos of the contest from the Green Bay Press-Gazette from the 2013 and 2014 events. The reactions of the students when their towers collapse are priceless.