So you designed your bridge, built it, and now you are ready to see if your ideas and craftsmanship make the cut. This is the moment of truth. All those hours are going to come down to a minute or less.

A few days before the test date double check that your bridge meets all the requirements of the rules. Now is the time to do any significant modifications because you want plenty of time for your glue to cure. If you have access to the loading plane that the contest will use, test fit the bridge to make sure that everything is just the way you want it.

Now it is the day of the contest. Some builders “bake” their bridges this day in an oven at low temperatures to remove excess moisture from the bridge. This can remove an entire gram of mass, but it also makes the bridge more brittle. If you do bake your bridge, carry it to the contest in an air tight bag so the bridge won’t absorb the moisture that you baked out of it.

When you go to the contest, take all the tools that you used to build your bridge (knifes, glue, sand paper, spare wood, etc.). This way, you can do any last minute changes if the bridge doesn’t meet certain requirements.

The event organizers will announce when participants can check in their bridges with the judges. It is better to do this as soon as possible so that if the bridge doesn’t pass you can make the changes so it will pass on the next check. Once you check in your bridge you can’t touch it until you break it.

All right, now it is your turn to break your bridge. There are a few techniques to maximizing the performance of your bridge during testing. Take as much time as you need to set up your bridge and attach the loading rod. When loading your bridge, add the weights gently (i.e. Don’t drop them!). These bridges don't handle impact shock very well.