ENGINEERING students from Queen’s University have set a new world record after building a 100ft footbridge in Belfast — made entirely from Meccano.
Designed and built by a group of third year Civil Engineering students and local school children, the temporary Meccano bridge, which spans more than 100ft across Belfast’s Clarendon Dock, was unveiled on Saturday.
The ambitious year-long project was the brainchild of academics and students from the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, as part of the University’s outreach programme to encourage more children to think about careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
Around 11,000 pieces of Meccano were used to build the bridge, which weighs 600kg (around 1,300lb).
Representatives from Guinness World Records were on site to confirm the project is the world’s largest ever Meccano construction.
The project received funding from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, AECOM, Meccano and Queen’s Annual Fund with technical support and advice from civil engineering contractors, McLaughlin and Harvey.
Smyths Toys and Belfast Harbour were also supporting the event.
Dr Danny McPolin, from the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering who led the project, said: “We see this event not only as an opportunity to celebrate the students’ and staff’s incredible work over the past year, but also a chance to give local children an insight into the exciting courses on offer at Queen’s.”
Professor Trevor Whittaker, Head of the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, said increasing the number of Civil Engineering graduates is key to securing a prosperous economic future for Northern Ireland.
“STEM subjects open doors to some of the world’s most exciting careers, and our graduates leave Queen’s with skills that set them apart in a very competitive job market,” he said.
“Queen’s graduates are making a difference in industry and academia worldwide, and with the global construction market set to grow by 70% by 2025, the our graduates will continue to make a visible, lasting impact on the world.
“Queen’s offers an array of opportunities to enable students to develop key skills through industry placements and study abroad schemes.
“As the Big Bridge Build has shown, we work closely with industry to anticipate their needs and to ensure the relevancy of our courses to employers.”