No weigh: spaghetti bridge building contest disrupted by faulty equipment
Machine used to test how much weight bridges can hold failed to operate
Technical difficulties disrupted the annual spaghetti bridge competition Friday afternoon, when the machine needed to test how much weight the bridges can hold failed.
The highlight of the competition, in its 34th year, is typically the heavyweight contest, where students see how much weight their spaghetti bridges can hold, under the pressure of a hydraulic testing machine.
However, minutes before the competition was set to begin, event organizers realized the machine was not functioning properly.
“We think it’s the hydraulic valve,” said Peter Murray, physics instructor at Okanagan College, of the problem.
The bridges could have been tested manually, but the variation could result in unfair results, he said.
Participants spend weeks constructing their bridges; in previous years, competitors travelled from Europe with their spaghetti bridges to compete for the $1,500 prize.
This year, five teams from around the Okanagan were set to compete in the heavyweight competition.
Instead, it had to be delayed until the testing machine could be fixed.
The competition will be live streamed from the college’s website so people who cannot make it to the event can watch it online.
Even though the heavyweight competition was postponed, other spaghetti bridge contests were held earlier in the day, including a team building event and an event for elementary school students, who replicated famous bridges from around the world.
“I really like to see the young kids come in here; I think it’s a great experience for them,” said Tom Gunther, civil engineering instructor at the college.