YELLOWKNIFE - Take thousands of Popsicle sticks, stick them together with loads of glue and what do you have? Bridges.

Thirty bridges to be exact. And after all the work that went into them, the 30 model bridges were subsequently smashed in the process of seeing how much weight they could bear.

Wayne Guy laughs as he holds up his destroyed bridge on Saturday. An architect, Guy said he took part in the contest because he loves design problems. - Jessica Klinkenberg/NNSL photo

From elementary school students to engineers and architects, approximately 40 people gathered at Centre Square Mall to watch as bridge after bridge collapsed as weight was applied through a special machine.

Jenson Hu said he spent about 12 hours building his bridge, using less than 300 Popsicle sticks.

Hu's bridge collapsed after 201 pounds was applied to the structure.

Daniel Murray's bridge snapped after 410 pounds was laid on it. Murray said it took him five days to build his bridge.

"I went last year and I felt like I wanted to try again this year," he said.

Last year Murray's bridge was disqualified because it was too tall, so this year he kept it simple.

"It might have been good to eat all those Popsicle sticks," Kristen Sibbeston said with a grin as she eyed her bridge.

She entered the competition because her dad urged her to, she said.

Wayne Guy, an architect, entered the professional category and won.

"I just love responding to any design problem," Guy said.

His bridge was one of the more artistic, having a design reminiscent of an eye.

But the design was deceptive, as each little stick was there for a purpose.

"They followed the weight of force," he said.

What does that mean? Well his bridge came in light at half a pound, Guy said, and didn't crack under pressure until 490 pounds later.

"I think it's going very well," said Lloyd Henderson, executive director of NAPEGG.

Though they had fewer entries than in previous years, more people showed up to watch the judging than any previous year, he said.

"It's all about exposing the engineering and geo-science professions," said Bob Milburn, past president of NAPEGG.

No one seemed to mind that their bridges, which took so much time to build, were ultimately destroyed. Kids took their cracked and buckled bridges home with them at the end of the judging.

"It is a competition, but it's meant for fun," Henderson said.