Competitions
Competitions for Engineers Day 2022 includes ten competitions hosted by organizations from around the college. View a full list of rules and regulations for the competitions.
Balsa Bridge Design Competition
Hosted by: American Society of Civil Engineers
Schools will compete to design and construct the lightest bridge capable of supporting a load over a 350mm opening while allowing for a model car to pass the entire length. This year each school may bring two bridges!
Cup Stacking with a Twist
Hosted by: Alpha Omega Epsilon
Teams of four to six will be given six cups, a rubber band, and piece of string per competitor and working together will be tasked to construct a pyramid without the use of their hands. The team that completes the pyramid first is the winner.
Egg Drop Competition
Hosted by: Materials Research Society
The Egg Drop Competition has quickly become one of the most popular events at Engineers Day. Sponsored by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Advantage student chapter, this competition encourages students to design a device that will protect a “free range” grade A egg from breaking when dropped with the focus being on the materials used to protect the egg.
Engineering in Reverse
Virtual Competition
Teams or individuals are tasked with taking an everyday home item that has multiple parts, taking it apart, and rebuilding the item to perform a new function. When complete, teams will submit photos and videos of their new device in action. Please submit your pictures and videos for this virtual competition by October 21 to engineersday@utk.edu.
Make Paper Hold Up Books Challenge
Hosted by: Alpha Sigma Kappa
Teams of three people will utilize paper clips and paper to create a support that will allow them to hold up as many textbooks as possible. The team that succeeds to hold the most textbooks without the structure faulting wins! The only rules are you can only use the materials your team was given, no internet access, and have fun!
The Marshmallow Design Challenge
Hosted by: Society of Women Engineers
The Marshmallow challenge has become a popular exercise in which small groups are asked to build the “tallest free-standing structure” out of the materials listed. You’ll have twenty minutes to complete this task including assembling the large marshmallow on top. It’s a fun and interactive exercise that allows teams to experience simple lessons in collaboration, innovation, design, and creativity.
Quiz Bowl
Hosted by: Tau Beta Pi
The Quiz Bowl gives visiting students a chance to show how much they know about science and math topics by working in teams of four to complete a thirty-minute written examination consisting of sixty to seventy multiple choice questions. The eight teams with the best scores advance to the semifinal round, and the contest concludes with the four top teams going head-to-head for the coveted Quiz Bowl Championship.
Penny Boat Competition
Hosted by: Office of Student Success
Competitors are working to determine whether the shape of a boat can affect how much weight it holds – specifically, a foil boat holding pennies! Individuals or teams of two to three will work to build out of aluminum foil that will hold as many pennies as possible without sinking.
Radiation Shielding Competition
Hosted by: American Nuclear Society and Women in Nuclear
Students must make a shield no larger than the dimensions stated and a minimum of 15 grams that will be the best at shielding gamma rays. They will be mailed in to the college to be tested using a Cobalt-60 source and an NaI detector to determine the count rate from various distances from the shield.
Rocky Top Stand Competition
Hosted by: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
The objective is for students to design a structure out of a foam board. The structure needs to be at least 6 inches off the ground and it has to be big enough for them to stand on it with both feet.