White glue, 100 Popsicle sticks and a knack for creative construction is all it takes to get top prize at the 15th annual Central Interior Ultimate Popsicle Stick Bridge Contest and Geo Rocks.
The event celebrates National Engineering and Geoscience Month at the Pine Centre Mall Feb. 25.
"We weigh the bridge before it's crushed, make note of how much weight it held and the highest load to the lowest weight of the bridge is the winner in each category," said Lee Peltz, design engineer and one of the organizers of the event.
The contest is open to everyone, including students Grades 1 to 12, as well as interested adults, and professionals such as engineers and geoscientists.
Top three in each category gets a cash prize as well as for the most attractive design.
Representatives of the professional engineers and geoscientists often approach students about career options in engineering and offering up this contest is one way to get their brains in gear.
"We give the students the rules, some Popsicle sticks and some white glue and tell them the sky's the limit," said Peltz.
The bridge has to be more than a half-metre long to fit into the crusher that determines what weight the bridge can withstand.
The bridge that can withstand the most weight wins.
"Sometimes entire classes will do bridges and other times it's individual students," said Peltz.
Last year, 50 bridges were entered, and there's been a surge in interest this year, so 50 people have already registered and more are expected in the days approaching the contest.
The contest runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 25 at Centre Court at the Pine Centre Mall.
For more information, including contest rules visit www.apeg.bc.ca/services/branches/ci.html.
