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Steel Bridge Competition Tests Students’ Mettle
by Chris Scotti, B.C.E. 2010
In deciding to compete in the ASCE Steel Bridge Competition sponsored by
the American Society of Engineers, the team from The Catholic University of
America seemed to face insurmountable odds. With no returning members,
the team had no experience with the inner workings of the competition. It had
no metalworking shop suitable for construction of the bridge. The contest’s
67 pages of rules were accompanied by an equal number of pages of amendments.
The budget was tight, with no established sponsors. Finally, the team
had to work feverishly to meet the looming deadline.
But when the odds are unfavorable, you stand up and fight. Eager junior
civil engineering students Chris Scotti and Chris Ridgeway took on the task
with vigor and determination. “It was something I have always been interested
in,” says Scotti. “When Dr. Lucko told Ridgeway and me that the club had no
leadership and was not participating that year, we jumped at the opportunity.”
The two co-captains recruited a diverse collection of civil and mechanical
engineering students, as well as English and politics majors, to aid them in
their mission to compete in the 2009 Regional Competition in Virginia Beach.
That diversity brought a wide variety of skills, talents and knowledge to the
otherwise inexperienced team. “We had no idea what to expect and what
challenges we faced. Every person brought something unique, something
we would eventually need,” says Ridgeway.
The steel bridge competition is an annual event involving engineering
students from hundreds of universities who design, construct and assemble
a 1/10th-scale bridge made entirely of steel. The goal is to design and fabricate
a steel bridge that is lightweight, stiff enough to support 2,500 lbs.,
and quick to assemble in competition. Teams compete regionally, with the
top three winners moving on to the nationals.
The co-captains approached the competition as a real-world project,
establishing a schedule and a budget, delegating responsibilities and duties,
holding regular meetings and evaluating progress. Working closely with
Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Scott Mathews, Ph.D., they
renovated a section of the McCarthy Building into an OSHA-compliant welding
shop. Team members experienced in working with metal educated the others.
While designing and redesigning the initial bridge, the team searched for
and found steel and tool providers. Balancing coursework, sports and social
lives, the team still spent countless hours in computer labs and the metal
shop, committed to what became known as The Bridge.
The process was grueling. Delays and changes to the design caused the
construction time to run longer than expected; the team had a little over a
week to practice construction and make the final aesthetic touches. Travelling
to Virginia Beach for the conference, the team was less than confident. “We
wanted to construct the bridge in under 30 minutes. At that point our best
time was about 34,” says Scotti.
With adrenaline, a little rehearsal, and their smooth functioning as a team,
they managed to construct the bridge in just over 27 minutes. Out of 11
competing teams, CUA’s bridge was one of only four that held the entire
2,500 lb. load, with the total deflection measure 1.6 inches over 3 points.
That put them in 4th place out of 11 competing teams, one place out of a
trophy position. But their accomplishment did not go unrecognized, with
congratulations coming in from faculty, students and staff in the School of
Engineering and across campus.
What’s next With this positive experience under their belts, the team is
looking forward to next year’s competition and the new challenges it will bring.
The CUA Steel Bridge Team in action at the 2009 ASCE competition.
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