CANstructionCANstruction is a design/build competition held in over 100 cities. Engineering & architecture firms, along with a few student teams like the TCC Engineering Club, compete to build amazing structures using canned food items. Awards are presented for the best structures, but the main focus of the event is to provide food for the needy. After the competition the structures are dismantled and the food is sent directly to the local Foodbank – just before Thanksgiving!

The TCC Engineering Club has competed in CANstruction for 16 years. The club is grateful for the support of Farm Fresh who donated all of the cans used in their display. This year the club decided to build a huge arched bridge with HUNGER written across the bridge. Plungers next to the bridge would have fuses leading to dynamite under the bridge. The title of the display is:“End HUNGER with a Bang!”

Design Build

Practice Build in the ATC - Students worked for two weeks on campus to build the arch, cut templates, etc. The wooden form will be eventually be lowered later using 4 car jacks.

Practice Build in the ATC - The maximum size for the structure is 10’ x 10’ x 8’. The students build the bridge diagonally across the space, allowing about 14’ for the bridge.

Practice Build in the ATC - The arch had to be wide enough (6’) to allow room to spell out the word HUNGER using cans. The arch uses 80 wedges with 2.3 degree angles between the cans. Students spent many hours building the form and cutting wedges.

Practice Build in the ATC - There was a huge sigh of relief and loud cheers as the form was lowered and the arch held!

Practice Build in the ATC - Plungers, fuses, and dynamite were added to complete the structure. Now the structure had to be taken down and packed up for the competition in Norfolk.

Moving the cans to Norfolk - The students were grateful for TCC’s help in providing a truck to move the cans to the Selden Arcade in Norfolk. Moving 5 tons of food is no easy task.

Moving the cans - The 6 pallets of cans nearly filled the truck, but students found room to fit in the form for the arch, ladders, templates, and a 10’ x 10’ base on which build the display.

Unloading the cans at the Seldon Arcade - Students met the TCC truck at 7am the next morning to unload the cans. They struggled trying to move the pallets onto the truck’s lift using a pallet jack. Then the students noticed a huge forklift working on the building next door and asked if they could help. The friendly workers from Valcon Masonry were glad to help us out!

Unloading the cans at the Selden Arcade - The huge forklift from Valcon Masonry easily moves a pallet with about 1800 lb of cans from the TCC truck onto the sidewalk. In past years students worked for hours to unload the cans one case at a time.

Unloading the cans at the Selden Arcade - Pallets were moved into place in the Seldon Arcade using a pallet jack. The students returned later in the day to work from 6pm until midnight to change this massive pile of cans into an amazing arched bridge.

Night of the competition - Students arrived a little early to finish trimming some of the cardboard templates that are placed between each layer of cans for stability.

Night of the competition - It is 6pm and the competition begins. The students quickly move the form for the arch into place.

Night of the competition - Tuna cans are stacked up to the base of the arch and the first layer of cans are laid for the mountains that will be on either end of the bridge.

Night of the competition - The students have been working for almost 4 hours and the arch is complete. Several more layers will be added above the arch.

Night of the competition - Students begin to use ladders for the upper layers of the bridge. The maximum height allowed is 96”. The top of the bridge will be 95.75”.

Night of the competition - Students swing another cardboard template into place. Only 5 students are allowed to work at a time and they work at a feverish pace. Will they finish by midnight?

Night of the competition - The letters H-U-N-G-E-R are now visible above the bridge. The mountains still need 3 more layers and the plungers have to be added.

Night of the competition - The bridge is almost finished and work begins on the plungers. It is almost time to remove the form. Everyone is nervous. Will the arch hold?

Night of the competition - Cheers erupt as the form is removed and the arch bears the weight of thousands of pounds of food.

Night of the competition - Final touches are made to one of the plungers. One student is confident in the design and works under the arch!

Night of the competition - The dynamite, fuses, and plungers are completed. The display is done with only a few minutes to spare before midnight!

Night of the competition - A great spot for a photo!

Night of the competition - Team photo after a long night’s work. The structures will be judged later and the Awards Ceremony will take place the following night.

Awards Ceremony - The students are elated after winning the coveted Structural Ingenuity Award. They also won the award for the most cans (almost 13,000)!