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Georgia Tech Team Wins First Place in Regional Student Steel Bridge Competition
The regional Student Steel Bridge Competition (SSBC) is held in conjunction with the American Society of Civil Engineers regional conferences. Winners and first runners-up from most regions are invited to compete at the national level against the best bridges designed and constructed from institutions across the United States and Canada.
The mission of the 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 this inter-collegiate competition requires effective teamwork and project management. Future engineers are stimulated to innovate, practice professionalism, and use structural steel efficiently.
The SSBC is sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), and co-sponsored by the American Iron and Steel Institute, the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation, the National Steel Bridge Alliance, and the Nucor Corporation. Individual student teams are also responsible for acquiring their own sponsorship to cover the cost of materials, equipment, and travel expenses.
The Georgia Tech Student Steel Bridge team is currently preparing for the 2008 National Student Steel Bridge Competition (NSSBC) at the University of Florida on May 23-24.
More About the Team:
Georgia Tech’s Student Steel Bridge team is organized within the Student Chapter of ASCE at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. A majority of the team’s budget is provided by the ASCE Student Chapter. However, team sponsorships are a new effort being organized this year in order to provide the team with the materials and equipment essential to compete at the national level.
The team consists of four main members who “assemble” the bridge during the competition based on speed. The assembly team includes: Ben Allread, Nate Blong, Matt Kosar, and Kris Neighbor. Other students that helped during the fabrication of the bridge include: Michael Berger, Kevin Dirth, and Michael Foote. Students use the Hydraulics Lab and “shop” area of the Mason Building run by Mr. Andy Udell, who also serves as the team’s adviser.