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Paper Art, Creative Load-Bearing: G10 Students Challenge the Limits of Bridge Mechanics with A4 Paper

December 18, 2025

On December 12th, Grade 10 students gathered in the Zhongxing Building Theater for the "Paper Art Rainbow — Bridge Load-Bearing Challenge." Using only two sheets of A4 paper and solid glue, each team was tasked with designing and constructing a paper bridge that met specific span and height requirements while supporting the maximum possible weight.


The rules were demanding: the piers had to be spaced more than 15 cm apart and stand over 5 cm tall, the deck needed to fully cover the structure, and all connections were restricted to solid glue. This was far more than a handicraft contest; it was a comprehensive test of structural mechanics, material properties, and engineering design thinking.


During the load-bearing test, paper bridges had to be steadily placed on piers 15 cm apart, with weight added incrementally using packs of A4 paper until structural failure. The unique scoring system introduced the "efficiency ratio" — the ratio of maximum load supported to the bridge's own mass — emphasizing "achieving the greatest load-bearing capacity with the least material," which lies at the heart of engineering optimization.


The competition featured various innovative designs, including triangular trusses, rolled-paper piers, and wavy decks. Each paper bridge was a crystallization of mechanical principles and spatial conception. "This really put the stress analysis and structural stability knowledge we learned into practice," shared one student. "Figuring out how to maximize the strength of paper under limited conditions was a process that was both mind-bending and full of fun."


These activities vividly embody the teaching philosophy of the High School Physics Division: "knowledge originates from practice, and ability is forged through application." Here, physics is no longer a distant concept but a creative process that can be designed, built, and verified.






























（Written by Yan Wang    Pictures by G10 volunteers  Edited by Cody Turner    Reviewed by Qian Zuo）