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Purpose |
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The United
States Military Academy is pleased to offer the third annual
West Point Bridge Design Contest.
The purpose
of the contest is to provide middle school and high school
students with a realistic, engaging introduction to engineering.
We
provide this contest as a service to education--and as a tribute
to the Academy's two hundred years of service to the United
States of America.
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Goals |
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The contest
will provide you with an opportunity to:
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Learn
about engineering through a realistic, hands-on problem-solving
experience. |
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Learn
about the engineering design process--the application
of math, science, and technology to create devices and systems
that meet human needs. |
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Learn
about truss bridges and how they work. |
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Learn
how engineers use the computer as a problem-solving tool.
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We
also hope you will have some fun pitting your problem-solving
skills against those of other virtual bridge designers around
the globe.
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| Engineering
at West Point |
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| Founded
in 1802, the United States Military Academy at West Point
was the first school in the U.S. to offer a formal program
of instruction in engineering. During the first half of
the 19th century, civil engineering was the foundation
of the West Point curriculum. Academy graduates of that
era designed and built many of the young nation's railroads,
bridges, harbors, and roads. This contest commemorates
West Point's engineering heritage and its role in developing
the nation's infrastructure. |
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