This Monday, October 17, a team of Civil Engineering students built a beer crate bridge at Alameda Campus (North Garden).
During one day, 35 civil engineering students used 492 beer crates to build a six-metre-long bridge. The team was led professor António Sousa Gago, together with professors Luís Guerreiro and Jorge de Brito, from the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geo-Resources.
The team managed to overcome the obstacles and, step by step, from the edges towards the centre, the arch began to take shape. The highlight of the day was around five o’clock in the afternoon when the team removed the scaffolding supporting the structure. Between applauses and photographs, the celebrations took place with non-alcoholic beer.
The challenge was launched by professor António Sousa Gago to the students of the Masonry and Timber Structures Curricular Unit. The logistics and organisation of the event were the responsibility of Fórum Civil.
The project involved several 3D modelling by the seven students who took up the challenge. Despite “a series of imponderables”, this solution seemed the best, explained the responsible for the Curricular Unit. Future editions of the project, are already planned by Civil Engineering students and professors.
