Model bridge at contest shows the strain

The balsa-wood model bridge constructed by Sylvester Morse of Oak Ridge buckles Thursday from the weight of 63 pounds of water during the 14th annual bridge-building competition sponsored by the Missouri Department of Transportation at Rose Theater. Neal Taegtmeyer, a MoDOT transportation project designer, filled the bucket until the model failed. High-school juniors and seniors use 15 pieces of balsa wood, thread and glue to design the most efficient model bridge. The top winners include Jacob Thomure, first place, Ste. Genevieve; Taylor Bolin, second place, Oak Ridge; Jordan Weibrecht, third place, Ste. Genevieve; Connor Bock, fourth place, Oak Ridge; Trenton Gramlisch, fifth place, Chaffee.