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Steel Bridge |
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“The mission of the ASCE/AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition (SSBC) is to supplement the education of civil engineering students with a comprehensive, student-driven project experience from conception and design through fabrication, erection and testing, culminating in a steel structure that meets client specifications and optimizes performance and economy. The SSBC increases awareness of real-world issues such as spatial constraints, material properties, strength, serviceability, fabrication and erection processes, safety, esthetics and cost. Success in inter-collegiate competition requires effective team work and project management. Future engineers are stimulated to innovate, practice professionalism and use structural steel efficiently.”- 2008 Steel Bridge Competition Rules, AISC Website - www.aisc.org
Members of student chapters of the ASCE are required to construct a bridge within given length, weight, and maximum deflection constraints. Each team must then construct bridge at the regional competitions. Construction is timed, and teams may also receive time penalties for dropping tools in the "river", workers stepping out of bounds, dropping members, etc. Teams are ranked on Construction Speed, Efficiency, Lightness, Display, Economy, Stiffness, and Overall points. This year, the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Steel Bridge Team completed construction of their bridge in just under 14 minutes. Unfortunately, the bridge failed the deflection test, with >2 in. deflection, and a time penalty of 30 minutes was added. UNO received 6th place in construction speed and economy, and 8th place in all other categories (out of 11 teams). Members of this year's team feel that they gained valuable experience, and hope to return to next year's competition with a high chance of success. Overall, the University of Missouri-Kansas City received first place in all categories except lightness, and were the conference champions. |
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2008 Steel Bridge ConstructionTeam |
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Peter Kiewit Institute |
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University of Nebraska at Omaha |
