Polish students from the Warsaw University of Technology’s Faculty of Civil Engineering emerged victorious in the “Tower Build” competition organized by the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. Their winning balsa wood tower supported nearly half a ton.
Fifteen teams competed to construct the most resilient tower relative to its mass. The winning team utilized two 5mm and one 4mm boards measuring 10x100cm each, along with balsa wood and glue.
The students spent two weeks designing, with continuous refinements. Challenges included structural complexity and weight optimization. Initial construction took 10 hours, primarily due to unfamiliarity with balsa wood properties.
The team employed Grasshopper and Rhino to design and analyze the structure. A mistakenly chosen adhesive unexpectedly enhanced tower strength, contributing to their victory.