Hey I am watching SuperBridge by Nova on DVD.
Just saw a clip of a model water basin they used to iterate designs. Besides bridges, there were a couple of tugs/barges cruising by. Looks like fun. The models looked off the shelf.
Getting a bit further afield,
If you haven't heard about the West Point Bridge design contest, they have free computer software. After you design the bridge, you can test it. Sometimes you want it to fail. :-) It's fun for both the kids and kids at heart.
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