Future engineers are 'Most Creative'

Trine University students Travis McDaniels of Wheatfield, Megan McElroy of Indianapolis, Adam Sitka of Houston, Pa., and Melissa Terry of Wolcottville stand with their replica of the  Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lampur after winning the Most Creative award during the Early Childhood Alliance’s Plank-A-Palooza fundraiser Feb. 26.

Trine students capture Most Creative Award at Plank-A-Palooza

 

ANGOLA, Ind. — Trine University civil engineering students captured the Most Creative Award at the Early Childhood Alliance’s annual Plank-A-Palooza fundraising competition Feb. 26 at the Lincoln Financial Event Center at Parkview Field in Fort Wayne.

Trine students Megan McElroy, Travis McDaniel, Melissa Terry and Adam Sitka constructed a replica of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lampur in a 3-foot by 3-foot area using KEVA wooden planks that were roughly 4 ½ inches wide by 1 inch wide by ¼ inch tall. The structure, once the tallest building in the world, is unique in that it consists of two 98-story buildings connected by a sky bridge.

“There was no glue. No tape. No notches. Just the planks and gravity,” said Tim Tyler, Ph.D., chair of the Reiner’s Department of Civil Engineering at Trine. “The planks were stacked precariously so they didn’t fall.”

This is the second year that Trine has participated in the event. The Reiner’s Department of Civil Engineering and Trine University Department of Brand and Integrated Marketing sponsored the team.

During the competition, each team, which could consist of up to four members, had 30 minutes to devise a design and then use teamwork to construct a building.

The Early Child Alliance raised more than $7,500 at the event. Proceeds will be used to assist in building better futures for young children in northeast Indiana through quality early care and education, resource and referral services for families seeking child care, parent education and literacy programs and training for child care professionals. The ECA relies on donations for more than 40 percent of its operating support each year.

Design Collaborative served as a plank partner, and sponsors for the fundraiser included NIPSCO, Jophiel, BKD, LLP, Briljent, Ciocca’s Executive Cleaning, Carrie Robinson Photography, The Rogers Co. and Ian Rolland.