Civil Engineering students competed in their first-ever Student Steel Bridge Competition New England regionals this Spring. In the competition, teams build a steel bridge that must bear up to 2,500 lbs. over a span of 20 feet. The Western New England University bridge was not only aesthetically pleasing, but also excelled in several of the categories, resulting in a successful first year of competition. The competition was sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction and American Society of Civil Engineers.
“The AISC steel bridge competition is valuable for students to compete in because it allows for hands on and real world experience through a small scale competition,” says senior Civil Engineering major Lee Peringer. “Students who participated in this event learned about computer design concepts, selection of materials, and how to physically construct the portions of the bridge. Working as a team to design the bridge and gaining hands-on knowledge through following building codes and restrictions are the biggest take-a-ways for the students in this competition.”
