Official Guinness World Records adjudicator Fortuna Burke, Meccanoid and Danny McPolin
A British university’s Big Bridge Build project has set a world record for the largest Meccano structure.
Around 50 students from the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, spent a year erecting the footbridge across the Clarendon Dock.
The structure, at 28.5m long, was built using an estimated 11,000 pieces from Meccano, a children’s engineering construction toy. Laid end-to-end, the pieces would stretch for just under 4km.
Officials from Guinness World Records confirmed the bridge as the world’s largest Meccano structure.
Academics and students cooperated to design and build the bridge, with the help of local school children. The project is part of the university’s programme to encourage more children to think about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The project was made possible with the help of Spin Master Corp, owner and producer of Meccano, as well as UK construction company McLaughlin & Harvey and also Aecom which advised the students as well as assisted with the construction of the bridge.
“With a growing skill shortage in Civil engineering, we hope that our work will encourage more children to consider the study of civil engineering at university level,” said Danny McPolin, senior structures lecturer at the School of Planning.
“It’s wonderful to see young people getting excited by the fantastic opportunities civil engineering can offer,” said Paul McCormick, managing director, Highways & Bridges, EMEA & India at Aecom. “We hope this event inspires more young people to and pursue careers in engineering.”
The Guinness World Record ‘Big Bridge Build’ in numbers!
Length of Bridge - 28.5m (96ft)
Longest Span of Bridge - 14m
Height of Bridge - 6m (26ft)
Weight - 600kg
Pieces of Meccano – 11,000
Nuts, bolts, washers – 60,000
Total length of Meccano pieces (laid end-to-end) – just over 3.8km
Further information, including more videos, about the bridge is available on the Guinness World Records <%$Linker:2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal website Visit a video page false http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2015/9/bridge-made-out-of-10-000-meccano-pieces-earns-record-for-queen%E2%80%99s-university-stud-397931 false false %>.
Around 50 students from the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, spent a year erecting the footbridge across the Clarendon Dock.
The structure, at 28.5m long, was built using an estimated 11,000 pieces from Meccano, a children’s engineering construction toy. Laid end-to-end, the pieces would stretch for just under 4km.
Officials from Guinness World Records confirmed the bridge as the world’s largest Meccano structure.
Academics and students cooperated to design and build the bridge, with the help of local school children. The project is part of the university’s programme to encourage more children to think about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The project was made possible with the help of Spin Master Corp, owner and producer of Meccano, as well as UK construction company McLaughlin & Harvey and also Aecom which advised the students as well as assisted with the construction of the bridge.
“With a growing skill shortage in Civil engineering, we hope that our work will encourage more children to consider the study of civil engineering at university level,” said Danny McPolin, senior structures lecturer at the School of Planning.
“It’s wonderful to see young people getting excited by the fantastic opportunities civil engineering can offer,” said Paul McCormick, managing director, Highways & Bridges, EMEA & India at Aecom. “We hope this event inspires more young people to and pursue careers in engineering.”
The Guinness World Record ‘Big Bridge Build’ in numbers!
Length of Bridge - 28.5m (96ft)
Longest Span of Bridge - 14m
Height of Bridge - 6m (26ft)
Weight - 600kg
Pieces of Meccano – 11,000
Nuts, bolts, washers – 60,000
Total length of Meccano pieces (laid end-to-end) – just over 3.8km
Further information, including more videos, about the bridge is available on the Guinness World Records <%$Linker:
