There are many aspects bridge builders must consider before building their bridges. Foremost is to build the bridge within the limits of the rules. This is very important because the judges will disqualify even the best-engineered bridge that doesn’t follow the specifications. There is nothing worse than spending dozens of hours on a bridge to only later find that the bridge is too tall or too heavy. To prevent this, read the rules carefully multiple times.

Now that you know the rules, brainstorm possible designs. Search the Internet for other ideas that could help you. Take your time here, and don’t be afraid to be creative. But remember, often times the best bridges are simple in design.

Now you have an important decision to make. In which medium do you want to begin the design process? Some people prefer graph paper, while others use modeling programs such as Rhino or AutoCAD. Which do you have available, and with which are you most comfortable?

To ease the bridge building process, draw or print out your designs in life size so you can build your bridge on your plans.

Here are a few design tips to keep in mind: