UMR’s new Big Beam Team takes second at contest
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An inaugural team of University of Missouri-Rolla students placed second out of 12 college and university entries in Region 3 of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute’s Big Beam Competition.
Five UMR civil engineering graduate students designed a large-scale prestressed and precast concrete beam to optimally meet the competition’s four criteria: load-to-weight ratio, ductility, cracking load, and concrete strength. Rinker Materials, based in Marshall, Mo., assisted with the fabrication of the team’s entry, which was tested inside the Structural Engineering High-Bay Research Laboratory located in Butler-Carlton Civil Engineering Building on campus.
The students were required to prepare a technical paper and were judged on the most accurate predictions of the four criteria following the testing of the beam. The team’s faculty advisor is Dr. John J. Myers, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at UMR.
The UMR Big Beam Team members are:
Gary Greene of Independence, Mo., a graduate student in civil engineering. Jason M. Jefferies of Lee’s Summit, Mo., who received his master of science degree in civil engineering in May 2004. Jared Brewe of Marthasville, Mo., a graduate student in civil engineering. Xi "Sean" Huang of Rolla, Mo., a graduate student in civil engineering. Wesley Merkle of Danville, Ill., a graduate student in civil engineering.
