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Is it possible to build a bridge out of paper? Our students prove it is!

Photo of the competition winners and their bridge

The best construction was created by Jakub Końka, Karol Urbańczyk and Krzysztof Buchalo, photo: wyKOMBinuj mOst

Teams from the Scientific Circle of Bridge Builders from the Faculty of Civil Engineering were locked in a gripping duel for victory in the nationwide competition wyKOMBinuj mOst (contrive a bridge). Eventually, the PWniaczka team won, beating the record of the competition at the same time. The other two teams ranked second and fourth.

The participants of the competition, having at their disposal paper, glue, scissors or scalpels, rulers, pens and pencils and weights, as well as armed with their own creativity, were to build a bridge. They were allotted seven hours to complete this task. The objective was clear – to create the most durable structure possible.

The rivalry of 26 teams from all over Poland was dominated by teams from our University.

The winning team: Jakub Końka, Karol Urbańczyk and Krzysztof Buchalo. Their 1.234 kg bridge withstood a load of 4407.7 N (almost 441 kg). This is the best result obtained during the fifteen editions of the competition.

The previous record was also improved by students from the ORZEŁ 1 team: Michał Pawłowski, Julia Czaplicka and Sviatoslav Miniailo. Their design weighing only slightly more than one kilogram (1.084 kg) withstood the load of 386 kg. It guaranteed the second place in the competition.

A photo of the Eagle 1 squad members and their bridge

Michał Pawłowski, Julia Czaplicka, Sviatoslav Miniailo and their bridge, photo: wyKOMBinuj mOst

The fourth place in the competition was taken by the Dziki team from the Technical University: Izabela Tołczyżewska, Przemysław Kruczkowski and Łukasz Porzyc. Their bridge was extremely light (only 0.758 kg), and it withstood nearly 154 kg.

Photo of Dziki team members from the University of Technology and their construction

Dziki from the Technical University, i.e. Przemysław Kruczkowski, Izabela Tołczyżewska and Łukasz Porzyc together with their construction, photo: wyKOMBinuj mOst

Students from the Research Group of Bridge Builders are already thinking about next year's competition. Then they are keen to take all the seats on the podium.

The competition wyKOMBinuj mOst was held in April 2022 in Gdańsk. The Research Group of Mechanics of Structures COMBO from the Gdańsk University of Technology was responsible for its organization.

The full summary of the competition can be found on the competition page