Photo courtesy AISC

The University of Nevada in Las Vegas (UNLV) was the site of an engineering student steel bridge contest. The team from Lakehead University took third.

A contingent of Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ont.) students were awarded third place in an annual steel bridge competition, besting more than 40 other teams across the continent.

Sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Institute for Steel Construction (AISC), the event was held at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas (UNLV) on May 22 and 23. Entrants were previous winners in 18 regional competitions held throughout North America.

Structural engineering students performed the steel design, fabrication, and erection required to construct 6-m (20-ft) long scale-model bridges capable of carrying 1134 kg (2500 lb), serving as both a functional and appealing replacement for a century-old highway bridge.

Bridges were judged in six key categories related to steel design and construction: construction speed, stiffness, lightness, economy, display, and efficiency. Teams with the best combined rankings across all six categories earned overall award recognition, with State University of New York (SUNY)—Canton and North Dakota State University—Fargo claiming first and second place.

Within individual categories, Université Laval (Quebec City) placed first in the Economy category, while Ecole de Technologie Superieure (Montreal) garnered the top spot for the Display category.

For more information on the competition, now entering its 19^th year, visit www.aisc.org/steelbridge.

Photo courtesy Lakehead University

Team Lakehead—adept at building bridges. From left to right: Jeff Luckai, Jesse Zylstra, Gavin Clements, Timo Tikka (faculty advisor), and Robert McDonald.