After winning first place at a regional competition in April, the Steel Bridge Design Team from Missouri University of Science and Technology will travel to the 2018 National Student Steel Bridge Competition and put their bridge engineering and construction skills to the test. The competition will be held May 25-26 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

During the regional competition held in April, Missouri S&T’s team earned five awards at the competition, including first place in economy scoring, second place in construction speed, first place in lightness, second place in efficiency and third place in stiffness.

Missouri S&T’s Steel Bridge Design Team will compete against other collegiate teams from around the country to construct a scale-model bridge as fast as possible. The competition is scored based on a dollar amount rather than a points system. This scoring simulates the accounting process involved in determining the budget for an actual bridge construction project.

The bridge is scored on its weight and rigidity, construction speed and the number of team members building the bridge. Penalties are assessed for infractions like dropping bolts, holding two pieces of the bridge at once and stepping over designated lines. Each bridge is also “load tested” to see if it can hold a required amount of weight. This is the first time since 2014 that power tools will be allowed for construction.

The Student Steel Bridge Competition is designed to supplement a civil engineering education with a comprehensive student-driven project experience from conception and design through fabrication, construction and testing that results in a steel structure that meets client specifications and optimizes performance and economy. The competition also increases awareness of real-world engineering issues like spatial constraints, material properties, strength, safety, esthetics and cost.

The Steel Bridge team is one of the 20 student-run groups in Missouri S&T’s Student Design and Experiential Learning Center (SDELC). The SDELC, housed in the Kummer Student Design Center, provides teams with computer design laboratories, a manufacturing shop, office space and logistical support. Design teams mirror small start-up companies that plan large-scale projects, organize into departments, raise funds, communicate their ideas and solve open-ended design challenges. Almost every team competes annually at an event against other collegiate teams from around the country and the world. For more information about the teams, visit design.mst.edu.

The following S&T students are a part of the team:

Luke Biernbaum, a sophomore in metallurgical engineering from St. Louis

Krista Deffenbaugh, a junior in civil engineering from Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Matthew Duncan, a senior in mechanical engineering from Moberly, Missouri

Ben Dyhouse, a sophomore in architectural and civil engineering from Olathe, Kansas

Nikk Edgmond, a graduate student in civil engineering from Rolla, Missouri

Clayton Fritsche, a graduate student in civil engineering from Frohna, Missouri

Gabe Holst, a freshman in metallurgical engineering from Strafford, Missouri

Michael Janke, a graduate student in civil engineering from Rolla, Missouri

Sarah Jemison, a senior in civil engineering from Nixa, Missouri

Brendan Judge, a senior in mechanical engineering from Eureka, Missouri

Brittney Kennedy, a senior in civil engineering from St. Charles, Missouri

Kyle Kentner, a senior in petroleum engineering from Liberal, Missouri

Jonathan Kuchem, a senior in civil engineering from Augusta, Missouri

Ana Messmer, a senior in civil engineering from Festus, Missouri

Brett Murray, a senior in civil engineering from Bolivar, Missouri

Lucas Ochs, a junior in mechanical engineering from Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Paige Oursler, a senior in mechanical engineering from Columbia, Missouri

Ben Parr, a senior in mechanical engineering from Old Monroe, Missouri

Jordan Pugh, a sophomore in architectural and civil engineering from Pacific, Missouri

Alex Schull, a senior in civil engineering from Washington, Missouri