How to Build a Bridge with Popsicle Sticks

https://www.wikihow.it/Costruire-un-Ponte-con-i-Bastoncini-da-Ghiacciolo

07-08-2024 |
italia |
fai da te |
Matita |
Bastoncini da ghiacciolo |
Pistola per colla a caldo (e colla) |
Un grande pezzo di cartone o carta da zucchero |
Carta (per il progetto) |
Forbici o cesoie (per tagliare i bastoncini) |
Metro o righello |

Decks may be architectural wonders, but having one on your kitchen table isn't exactly for everyone.If you want, however, you can build a splendid bridge all for yourself:all you need is a few construction techniques, some popsicle sticks, other easy-to-find objects at home and a creative mind.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Planning the Bridge

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1
Determine the length of the bridge. You need to decide how long you want it to be before you even buy the necessary materials.There are different sizes of sticks that can be purchased in a supermarket or DIY store.These initial operations may be useful to you:
- Lay out a tape measure in your work space.
- Mark the approximate length of the bridge.
- Place the tape measure across to measure the width of the deck.
- Estimate the number of sticks you will need based on the size you got and the size of the sticks you decide to use.
2
Prepare the materials. Everything you need can be purchased at the supermarket, hardware store or DIY store.The type of sticks you use will depend on your bridge design, but it's important to purchase a good amount of them to avoid running out of sticks halfway through.You will need:
- Popsicle sticks.
- Hot glue gun (and glue).
- A large piece of cardboard or sugar paper.
- Paper (for the project).
- Pencil.
- Scissors or shears (for cutting sticks).
- Meter or ruler.
Place a piece of cardboard or sugar paper on a table or other smooth, flat surface.Make sure you have enough space for the deck you'll be building by comparing its approximate dimensions to your workspace.
4
Decide what type of bridge you want to build. There are several types, including suspension bridge, drawbridge and girder bridge.^{[1]
X
Research source} The latter are ideal for making a bridge with sticks, as they use triangles in the structure to support and reinforce the structural integrity.
- For illustrative purposes, in this tutorial we will build a model of the classic truss (or “Warren”) bridge.^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
5
Make a plan for the bridge. Create or imagine a design to follow in building the bridge.Truss bridges can vary in their degree of complexity, so research various models on your own before deciding which one you want to attempt.Usually this type of bridge includes:
- Struts and beams transverse to the ground.
- A deck that forms the walkway or road on the bridge.
- Spars, beams placed lengthways under the deck.
- An external support structure composed of squares divided into triangles.
- X-bracings along the top of the bridge.
- An anti-roll bar under the upper cross beams.^{[3]
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  Research source}
Now that you have a general idea of the structure you want to build and the essential components of a truss bridge, you can unleash your creativity!Take some time to design the project.Don't worry about making it realistic, you just need to get a model to follow, not a faithful representation.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Building the Truss

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1
Plan the layout of the beams in detail. Guided by the project you have prepared, you will have to proceed with the actual construction using popsicle sticks.The truss is made up of four beams that run the entire length of the bridge at the top and bottom.Later you will add triangles to improve stability.To place the beams:
- Arrange four rows of sticks.Each row should be three sticks wide and equal in length.
- Cut four sticks in half.Place one of these halves at either end of each beam, halfway across the three-stick width.
- The three sticks that make up each beam must be glued together, forming a single beam three sticks thick.
2
Glue the beams. Take the sticks from the four rows and glue them with hot glue, taking care to keep them well aligned.Thus you will get four beams three sticks thick.
- Hot glue dries very quickly!For best results, apply pressure on the sticks with your fingers immediately after applying the glue.
- Press the sticks together and apply strong pressure so that the beams are well glued.
3
Lay out the beams and let the glue dry. It shouldn't take long if you use hot glue.By ensuring that the glue is completely dry you can prevent a stick from inadvertently detaching from the beam.If you use a different type of glue, such as wood glue or general purpose glue, let it dry for 10-15 minutes.
- If the glue's bond feels weak to the touch, let it dry for another 15 minutes.
4
Measure the transverse supports of the beams. Use the pencil and a measuring tape or ruler to mark, at regular intervals, the points where you will support and connect the beams with transverse support sticks.In this model we will use pairs of sticks next to each other to form a W.^{[4]
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Research source}
- Each line of the W shape connecting two beams must be made of two sticks, one next to the other.
- The more support structures there are, the stronger the bridge you build will be.However, by using too many sticks you may end up hiding the movements on the deck.
5
Join the beams. Now that you've marked out the W shape, you should be able to figure out how many sticks you'll need.Keep as many as you need on hand and:
- Place the sticks along the beams before gluing them, to check the final appearance of the beam.
- Use hot glue or another appropriate type of glue to glue the cross braces to the beams.
- Wait long enough for the glue to dry.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Building the Deck

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1
Prepare the bridge deck. Arrange the two beams parallel on the surface of your workspace.Then take many sticks and spread them crosswise between the trusses.They will form the deck or road that crosses the bridge.Roll out the sticks until the decking covers the entire length of the trusses.
- The distance between the transverse sticks represents the width of the deck.
- Make sure the sticks are even, otherwise the deck spanning the bridge will look uneven.
2
Anchor the deck with long supports. If you have large sticks at your disposal you can use them to make the bridge more stable, but if you don't have any, small ones are fine.Place the sticks staggered so that the deck becomes a single uninterrupted piece.
- Once you have the sticks holding the deck together in place, use hot glue or another type of glue to secure them in place.
- If you use wood glue or general purpose glue, wait for it to dry before touching the decking.
Take your tape measure or ruler and measure the length of the bridge.You will have to create the supports on which the deck rests, which will also join the walls of the beams in a transverse direction.Measure the length of the deck and the thickness of each truss.
4
Cut out the supports. If you have popsicle sticks of different sizes you can now use them, as long as they are at least as long as the sum of the width of the bridge and both trusses.If you use a tape measure or ruler to get measurements you will need to:
- Multiply the width of the trusses by 2 to consider both, then add the width of the deck.
- Cut 3-4 sticks to a corresponding length.
- If the sticks you have are too short, make longer ones.Cut two sticks and join them by gluing another one under them.
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Putting it all together

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1
Assemble the trusses.^{[5]
X
Research source} You can ask a friend to help you at this stage, or you can place the beams on books to simplify the gluing stage.Here are the next steps:
- Secure the first two support beams to the deck in the space between the cross beam supports at both ends of the bridge.
- Glue the supports to the deck on the bottom beam of the truss.Press firmly until the glue dries.
The more deck support beams you use and the more triangles you put in the structure, the more resistant the bridge will be.Use glue to attach additional support beams to support the truss walls.
3
Attach the deck to the structure, if you want. You can also decide to leave it detached, so you can showcase every aspect of the bridge's construction.If you want it to be attached to the support beams, just apply some glue and fix it.
- Try to be quick when doing this, especially if you use hot glue.It would be a real shame if the glue dried out before you managed to get the deck into the right position.
4
Add support beams at the top.^{[6]
X
Research source} If you have long sticks, just place them across the struts and glue them.However, if you don't have long enough sticks available, you can make your own.Cut some and join them using a stick glued under both.
- Placing the sticks equidistant will give the bridge a more realistic look.
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Advice

Sticks of two different sizes were used to build this bridge.However, the model used as an example can also be built using only one size of sticks.
If you have trouble drying the glue you can use a paperweight to apply pressure on the sticks until the glue dries.
When you put multiple layers of sticks together, a process sometimes called "rolling," you can make the structure stronger by staggering the sticks.
Be careful not to touch the hot glue or the place where you just applied it, until it is transparent or almost transparent!

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Warnings

Always be very careful when using the hot glue gun.Improper use can result in a burn.Be very careful.

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Things you will need

Popsicle sticks
Hot glue gun (and glue)
A large piece of cardboard or sugar paper
Paper (for the project)
Pencil
Scissors or shears (for cutting sticks)
Meter or ruler

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