Steel bridge competition


The American Institute of Steel Construction Student Steel Bridge Competition is a student contest that tests the knowledge and practicality of teams of university students in the field of structural engineering. Ideally, the design and fabrication of the bridge is conceived and completed entirely by the students and the participation of the students in the process is highly encouraged. Some schools may not have the proper facilities and guidance necessary to erect the model bridge and may work with a commercial fabricator. However, the students must be fully responsible for the design and instructions, they must coordinate with the fabricator, and they must monitor the construction process.
The bridges must follow the specifications explained in the rule book. The rules of the competition are changed annually to further enhance the quality of the competition and to prevent the submission of an already existing bridge.

History

The steel bridge competition, in its embryonic form, began as a miniature bridge design competition using balsa wood to see which competitor's bridge is the best. , Associate Director of Education for the American Institute of Steel Construction, initiated the steel bridge competition in the spring of 1987 and was honored by the AISC in 2000 for his achievement. The first teams to compete were Lawrence Technological University, Wayne State University, and Michigan Technological University. In 1988, the competition grew to four regional conference competitions: North Central at the University of Detroit, Great Lakes at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Carolinas at the University of North Carolina - Charlotte, and Ohio Valley at the University of Louisville. In 1989, nine conferences held steel bridge-building competitions: Upstate New York, Carolinas, Ohio Valley, North Central, Midwest, Mid-Continent, Rocky Mountain, Southeast, and Texas. Michigan State University dominated their Conference with bridges built quickly with innovative, lightweight designs that set the pattern for future competitions. In 1992, Fromy Rosenberg, who was the new Director of AISC College Relations, began the first ever National Student Steel Bridge Competition.

Past champions

The following are past champions.
YearHostChampion
1992Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
1993Southern Polytechnic State UniversityUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks
1994San Diego State UniversityRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1995University of FloridaNorth Dakota State University
1996SUNY BuffaloUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks
1997California State Polytechnic University, PomonaUniversity of Florida
1998Colorado State UniversityUniversity of Southwestern Louisiana
1999University of Alaska AnchorageUniversity of Nevada, Reno
2000Texas A&M UniversityCalifornia State University, Chico
2001Clemson UniversityClemson University
2002University of Wisconsin, MadisonNorth Dakota State University
2003San Diego State UniversityUniversity of Michigan
2004Colorado School of MinesNorth Dakota State University
2005University of Central FloridaUniversity of California, Davis
2006University of UtahNorth Dakota State University
2007California State University, NorthridgeNorth Dakota State University
2008University of FloridaUniversity of California, Berkeley
2009University of Nevada Las VegasSUNY Canton
2010Purdue UniversityNorth Dakota State University
2011Texas A&M UniversityLakehead University
2012Clemson UniversityUniversity of California, Berkeley
2013University of WashingtonUniversity of California, Berkeley
2014University of AkronUniversity of California, Davis
2015University of Missouri, Kansas CityUniversity of Florida
2016Brigham Young UniversityÉcole de Technologie Supérieure
2017Oregon State UniversityÉcole de Technologie Supérieure
2018University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignLafayette College
2019Southern Illinois University CarbondaleLafayette College

Scoring

For a full description of the 2016 rules and regulations, including the scoring go to:
The different categories in the competition that will be judged are:
  1. Display - Includes appearance of bridge, identification of the school on the bridge, and the poster that explains the thought process and includes sponsors, advisors, and technicians.
  2. Construction Speed - The team that constructs the bridge with the quickest time wins this category
  3. Construction economy - A formula is devised to calculate a dollar amount based on the number of builders, the time of the assembly, and the use of temporary piers. The team with the lowest dollar amount wins this category
  4. Lightness - The team with the lightest bridge wins this category.
  5. Stiffness - The team with the lowest aggregate deflection wins this category.
  6. Structural efficiency - A formula is devised to calculate a dollar amount based on the weight and deflection of the bridge. The team with the lowest dollar amount wins this category
The overall winner has the lowest sum from the construction economy and structural efficiency categories.

Regional advancement

Getting to the National Competition - Teams compete at regional conferences around the United States. The top teams from each region are invited to compete at the National Competition each year.