Against the Wind: Crafting a Winning Bridge Model


Title

Against the Wind: Crafting a Winning Bridge Model

Creator

Cheung, Chin Ho
Fung, Tsun Ting
Wong, Sze Yin
Wu, Binyang

Advisor

Kwan, Chung Lim

Faculty

Faculty of Construction and Environment

Department

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Description

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.

Learning outcome/goal

Critical Thinking and Problem-solving
Networking and Collaboration
Adaptability and Flexibility
Learning-to-learn
Project Management and Teamwork

Award

Championship, Model Building Competition 2024, ICE HKA G&S [Local competition]

Date

2025-06

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Keywords

Structural Design and Analysis; Material Properties and Usage; Construction Planning ; Load-Bearing and Wind Resistance

Subject

Structural analysis (Engineering)
Bridges -- Design and construction
Wind tunnels -- Testing
Bridges -- Vibration -- Prevention

Rights

All rights reserved

Language

English

Type

Feature Story

Access Rights

open access