Against the Wind: Crafting a Winning Bridge Model

Abstract

Ryan, Keith, Calvin, and Steven joined the Model Building Competition 2024, organized by ICE Hong Kong, eager to showcase PolyU’s engineering talent. Competing against elite teams from other universities, they had just three hours and limited materials to build a bridge that could withstand wind tunnel tests. Their journey began weeks earlier, designing, calculating, and practicing to optimize both structure and teamwork. Challenges arose—balancing material use, time constraints, and unexpected weaknesses in their model. With support from PolyU mentors and access to engineering software, they refined their design and strategy. On competition day, their bridge performed impressively, proving their design and collaboration paid off. The experience taught them the value of collaboration, adaptability, and practical engineering, proving that determination and teamwork lead to success.