BG & E Engineering Challenge

11 Jun 2019

Parramatta Marist Westmead

For the past five weeks, boys have been working with one of our esteemed old boys, Immanuel Gacis, to learn about structures and civil engineering.

As part of this collaboration with BG&E Engineering, our iSTEM students completed a pilot crane building competition, with the goal being for their cranes to hold the greatest mass until structural failure. Each team was given a kit of materials, including 200 paddlepop sticks and 5m of nylon string. Motivated by the title of inaugural BG&E Engineering Challenge winners, teams were highly competitive, hiding their concept sketches from others to maintain an advantage.

To equip them for success in this project, students learned about forces, torque, load paths, stress and strain. During Immanuel’s recent visit, we began to test the cranes. So far, Aaron Cachia, Jacob Burakowski and Sanithu Fernando’s crane is currently in the lead, holding an impressive 12kg. Well done gents. We’re yet to see if anyone can match or surpass this feat. Testing resumes next Wednesday.

Thank you to Ms Christine Alimane for her support of these students, and to Immanuel Gacis for his work in creating and supporting the BG&E Engineering Challenge. We look forward to the 2020 competition which is to be hosted by the University of Technology Sydney.

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