School students show off engineering skills at M7 – M12 Integration Project Bridge Competition

Dozens of NSW school students, some from as far as Walcha, have shown off their engineering prowess at a bridge building competition in western Sydney. See the photos.

Transurban bridge building competition for school students, who used pasta to try and build the strongest or best looking bridge design. Pictured are winners of the Transurban prize for creative bridge design, Gosford High year 10 students Flynn Henry, Tamsin Conti and Charlie Manns. 09/08/2024. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Dozens of NSW school students with dreams of becoming engineers have shown off their skills by creating bridges out of uncooked spaghetti, testing their durability in a statewide competition.

The M7 – M12 Integration Project Bridge Competition, which was held in NSW for the first time on Friday, aims to encourage and promote engineering and STEM in school students, and drew dozens of students across ten schools to the M7 Motorway Control Centre at Eastern Creek.

Transurban bridge building competition for school students, who used pasta to try and build the strongest or best looking bridge design. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Students were tasked with creating bridges out of nothing but spaghetti and glue, which they then brought to Eastern Creek to be judged for their creativity and also tested for their strength and durability.

The awards included the Transurban prize for most creative bridge, and the weight prize for the most structurally sound creation.

The bridges were tested for their durability and strength with specialised equipment by the engineers behind the new M7 to M12 Integration project.

Maskil Jiiu from Burwood Girls High School reacts after her bridge collapsed under load. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

The $1.7b project includes the widening of the M7 motorway and connecting it to the upcoming M12 motorway, which will goes directly to the upcoming Western Sydney International Airport, while also widening 41 bridges and building seven new ones at the M7 to M12 interchange at Cecil Hills.

Gosford High School and Lane Cove West Public School were awarded the prize for most creative bridge, while Team 7 from James Ruse High School took first place for the weight prize with their 298g creation able to bear 20kg.

In this picture Greg Millican of Engineering Link Group sets up the weight testing device on a design from Marist College Kogarah. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Team 1 from James Ruse High School took second place for a bridge of the same weight able to bear 12.3kg, and Lane Cove West Public School took third place for their 277g creation able to bear 11.5kg.

Transurban Head of Public Affairs Alissa Hitchcock said the company were “so grateful” to all the students who attended the competition.

“We are absolutely in awe with what the students have come up with,” she said.

Here, students from Walcha Central School set up their bridge for the load test. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Greg Millican from Engineering Group Link, who ran all the weight testing, said the results of the competition were very impressive.

“I’m hoping that it helps students enjoy learning more about engineering, but also the experience of teamwork, perseverance and having a crack,” he said.