Student Steel Bridge Competition Explained
The American Institute of Steel Construction Student Steel Bridge Competition is a student contest based on teams in the field of structural engineering where the students design a bridge. Some schools may work with a commercial fabricator. The students can coordinate with the fabricator. The bridges must follow the specifications worded out in the rule book.
History
The competition began as a miniature bridge design competition using balsa wood to see which competitor's bridge is the best. Robert E. Shaw Jr., Associate Director of Education for the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), initiated the steel bridge competition in the spring of 1987 and was honored by the AISC in 2000.
The first teams to compete were Lawrence Technological University (who hosted the competition), Wayne State University, and Michigan Technological University.[1] In 1988, the competition grew to four regional conference competitions: North Central at the University of Detroit, Great Lakes at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Carolinas at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Ohio Valley at the University of Louisville. In 1992, Fromy Rosenberg, who was the Director of AISC College Relations, began the first National Student Steel Bridge Competition.[2]
Past champions
The following are past champions.[3]
| Year | Host | Champion |
|---|
| 1992 | Michigan State University | Michigan State University |
| 1993 | Southern Polytechnic State University | University of Alaska Fairbanks |
| 1994 | San Diego State University | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| 1995 | University of Florida | North Dakota State University |
| 1996 | SUNY Buffalo | University of Alaska Fairbanks |
| 1997 | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | University of Florida |
| 1998 | Colorado State University | University of Southwestern Louisiana |
| 1999 | University of Alaska Anchorage | University of Nevada, Reno |
| 2000 | Texas A&M University | California State University, Chico |
| 2001 | Clemson University | Clemson University |
| 2002 | University of Wisconsin, Madison | North Dakota State University |
| 2003 | San Diego State University | University of Michigan |
| 2004 | Colorado School of Mines | North Dakota State University |
| 2005 | University of Central Florida | University of California, Davis |
| 2006 | University of Utah | North Dakota State University |
| 2007 | California State University, Northridge | North Dakota State University |
| 2008 | University of Florida | University of California, Berkeley |
| 2009 | University of Nevada Las Vegas | SUNY Canton |
| 2010 | Purdue University | North Dakota State University |
| 2011 | Texas A&M University | Lakehead University |
| 2012 | Clemson University | University of California, Berkeley |
| 2013 | University of Washington | University of California, Berkeley |
| 2014 | University of Akron | University of California, Davis |
| 2015 | University of Missouri, Kansas City | University of Florida |
| 2016 | Brigham Young University | École de Technologie Supérieure |
| 2017 | Oregon State University | École de Technologie Supérieure |
| 2018 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Lafayette College |
| 2019 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Lafayette College |
| 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | |
| 2021 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | University of Florida |
| 2022 | Virginia Tech | University of Florida |
| 2023 | University of California, San Diego | University of Florida | |
Scoring
The different criterias in the competition that will be judged are:[4]
- The appearance of the bridge, identification of the school on the bridge, and the poster that explains the thought process. (Display is only used as a tiebreaker; however, the lack of information either on the poster or on the bridge itself will result in an added weight penalty to the bridge).
- 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.
- The team that constructs the bridge with the quickest time (including time penalties).
- The team that constructs the bridge the lightest (including weight penalties).
- The team with the lowest aggregate deflection.
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.
- In a region of 1–4 teams, the top competitor advances to nationals.
- In a region of 5–10 teams, the top two competitors advance to nationals.
- In a region with 11 or more teams, the top three competitors advance to nationals.
See also
References
External links
AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition
Notes and References
- Shaw, Robert "Bridging the Gap: From Classroom Learning to Hands-On Experience". http://steelstructures.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Bridging-the-Gap-Classroom-Learning-to-Hands-On-Experience.pdf
- Hatfield, Frank. "History of the Competition". http://nssbc.info/ 2007
- "Past NSSBC Champs", http://nssbc.info/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20100709050754/http://www.aisc.org/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=21576 2011 Steel Bridge Rules
