Breaking Records and Fettuccine: The 2025 Wasatch Truss Pasta Bridge Contest

At Wasatch Truss, we spent this past Christmas Eve returning to the kitchen pantry for our most specialized building materials yet: pasta and glue. The 8-ounce Pasta Bridge Contest (PBCR) returned on December 24, 2025, bringing together the team for a day of engineering challenges, friendly competition, and a bit of festive destruction.

The Engineering Challenge

The specifications for this year’s contest were designed to test the structural ingenuity of every participant. To qualify for the “testing table,” each bridge had to meet strict requirements:

  • Materials: Construction was strictly limited to pasta and glue.

  • Dimensions: The bridge had to be 16 inches in length with a height between 6 and 8 inches.

  • Weight: A maximum weight of 8 ounces.

  • Functionality: The design required two members that allowed a 1/2” x 1/2” “vehicle” to travel the entire length of the bridge.

  • Loading: The load was attached specifically to the center bottom chord.

Many contestants stepped up with varied shapes and innovative designs, all aiming for the elusive benchmark: exceeding a 100-pound load capacity.

A “Smashing” Success

Watching the testing process was as entertaining as it was intense. One by one, contestants approached the table to see how much weight their creations could bear before reaching the point of total structural failure.

Most top performers saw their bridges fail in the 50 to 70-pound range. While impressive—representing a load many times the bridge’s own weight—it appeared for a while that the 100-pound goal would remain unbroken until the next event.

Then, it happened.

Setting a New Standard: The 102.8 lb Record

Please join us in recognizing Jacob Richins for a truly remarkable engineering feat. Jacob didn’t just meet the benchmark; he shattered it.

His bridge supported a staggering 102.8 pounds—which is 216.4 times its own weight—before ending in a spectacular explosion of pasta debris. It was a new Wasatch Truss record and a highlight of the day.

More Than Just a Competition

Once the debris was cleared from the testing table, the afternoon transitioned into a celebration of community. The rest of the day was spent enjoying a holiday meal and music, featuring a live performance by the Wasatch Truss band.

As our GM, S. Arlis Richins, noted, this contest tests you in ways you might not consider. We are already looking forward to the next round of “bragging rights” and seeing who will dare to challenge the new 102.8-pound record.