Student Design Competitions
Each year, the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Institute of Steel Construction and Precast / Prestressed Concrete Institute host competitions providing civil engineering students comprehensive project experience as they design, fabricate and construct steel bridges, concrete canoes and prestressed concrete beams. The competitions require effective teamwork and project management that increase awareness of real-work issues such as spatial constraints, material properties, strength, serviceability, fabrication and erection processes, safety, esthetics and cost.
ASCE/AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student
Organization participates in the Steel Bridge Competition. The participants design
and fabricate a 20-foot steel bridge at the Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory.
The bridge is disassembled and then taken to the regional competition where it is reconstructed.
ASCE Concrete Canoe
The ASCE Student Organization also participates in the annual Concrete Canoe Race. The participants build a state-of-the-art canoe with high strength, low weight concrete, and race it at the regional competition.
PCI Big Beam Contest
Graduate students participate annually in the PCI Big Beam Contest.
The student-designed, simple-span, prestressed concrete beams are weighed and tested to failure. The students design the beam and concrete mixture, fabricate the reinforcing cages, cast at a local prestressed concrete plant, and test the specimens to failure. At FSEL Dr. Bayrak supervises the students.