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March 2008
U of M student creates bridge model for NTSB
Junior Rachel Gaulke with her model of the former I-35W bridge
A model of the former I-35W bridge, built by civil engineering junior Rachel Gaulke, was sent to Washington, D.C., in February. Engineers at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will use the 1/200th-scale model to help visualize and explain information related to the bridge collapse and its causes. NTSB contracted with the University to produce the model because of its familiarity with the bridge.
A news release and a video about the model are online (see www.cts.umn .edu/news).
In the video, CE professor and CTS Scholar Carol Shield said the project allowed Gaulke to apply classroom learning to real-world problems.
KSTP-TV aired a segment about the model on its February 19 newscast.