Bridge crushing and Bob McDonald: Engineering Week is on its way
“Crush it! Crush it!”: This year is the 30th anniversary of Concordia’s Troitsky competition, in which popsicle-stick bridges must withstand force from the Crusher, a hydraulic press. | Photo by Concordia University
Concordia’s Engineering Week is always a hot ticket. Where else can you find out how engineering might save the world and see homemade robots do battle? With a little bridge crushing on the side…
This year, it’s all happening from Monday, February 24 to Saturday, March 1 on the Sir George Williams Campus.
One of the week’s most anticipated events is the 30th anniversary edition of the Troitsky Bridge Building Competition. On February 28, student teams from across North America will converge on Concordia, where they will use wood, popsicle sticks and other sundries to build bridges capable of withstanding many pounds of force — applied, of course, by the legendary Crusher, a hydraulic press that tests the sheer strength of the structures.
Bob McDonald, host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks, will deliver “Engineering the Future,” a talk about engineering’s potential to stop humanity from depleting the Earth’s finite resources. This February 24 event is likely to fill up quickly, so reserve your spot now.
Engineering Week’s busy schedule also includes Society Day (February 27), which spotlights the faculty’s many student associations, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ ever-popular Robowars (March 1), a challenge that, as its name suggests, sees student-made robots fight to the death.
As president of the Concordia Engineering and Computer Science Association, Antonin Picou speaks for Engineering Week’s organizers.
“We’re really excited to showcase what our faculty is capable of,” he says. “And our student groups are very active and committed to bringing people into the fascinating world of engineering and technology.”
Bob McDonald presents “Engineering the Future” on Monday, February 24 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the BMO Amphitheatre (MB 1.210) in the John Molson School of Business (MB) Building (1450 Guy St.) on the Sir George Williams Campus. Attendance is free. Registration is required.
See the complete Engineering Week schedule.