ASCE excels in national and regional competitions, placing first in multiple categories

By Justin Huang and Peter Murphy

Students competed in the steel bridge, concrete canoe and seismic design competitions. Preparing for the events since fall 2023, their work paid off with notable placements in each competition. 

During both the regional competition held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) student steel bridge national competition in Rustin, Louisianna, UB ASCE members were tasked with designing, fabricating and constructing a scale model steel bridge. Panelists evaluated builds based on construction speed, efficiency and load handling—crucial factors in real-world engineering.

At the regional competition, UB ASCE’s team finished first overall in every criterion except one, where they secured second. A vital component of the steel bridge team’s success was their meticulous preparation. 

“It has been a challenge to design and fabricate a bridge with all of the specified constraints in mind while also considering the importance of a fast build time,” explains project managers Ben Cardamone and Daniella Kata. “We spent so many hours in our lab space and the computer lab working to create the most efficient bridge.”

Despite the obstacles, UB ASCE members put in significant time and effort, leveraging past build designs to remove inefficiencies and improve practices. Additionally, the steel bridge team’s close bond created a fun environment that fostered communication.

“The process was made much easier and more enjoyable with the help of our dedicated team members. We have an awesome team, all of whom were eager to help with anything that needed to be done,” Cardamone and Kata say.

After a successful regional competition, the team got back to work refining aspects of the construction and practiced the build three times per day to drop time ahead of nationals. With 10 months of preparation, the team packed into three minivans and drove to Rustin. Their dedication paid off, as the steel bridge team earned second place in the national competition, the best finish in club history.

“After regionals, there was a two-week period, where all hands were on deck,” says Kevin Chen, incoming UB ASCE president and member of the 2023-24 steel bridge design team. “The project managers were in the lab for maybe six-eight hours a day working on the bridge with our practitioner advisor. The rest of the team, including me, would hop in between classes to help out.”

This is the second consecutive year the team had its best finish ever at the AISC competition, placing third overall in 2023. Despite a few long-time steel bridge design team members graduating, Chen is optimistic that they can continue their momentum next year.

“I think we have a really strong build team next year. Three of our four builders that went to nationals are still on the team,” Chen says. “The valuable lessons learned this year are well documented and we hope to do better with this knowledge. We will also have continued support from the project managers of previous years, guiding us to do even better in the coming years.”

The regional concrete canoe competition not only required UB ASCE members to design, construct and race a canoe made of concrete, but also pitch the build to a panel of judges. The contest rules change dramatically from year-to-year compared to other events, emphasizing the need for adaptability and inventive engineering concepts.

The team’s strategy prioritized the canoe’s display and build structure, applying innovative methods to minimize cold joints from forming in the concrete hull. 

“We utilized an integrated bulkhead, which is cast at the same time as the rest of the canoe, resulting in increased durability and a better appearance,” explains project manager Devin Scotch. “We were the first team in our region to implement this new construction method.”

The team also used outlays instead of inlays to prevent cold joint development and improve the canoe’s appearance.

Their emphasis on the canoe build led to a first-place win in the display category. However, the canoe race was canceled due to poor weather conditions, preventing the team from showcasing one of their strengths and improving their overall score. 

Despite not receiving an invitation to nationals, UB ASCE members still had a rewarding experience during the competition.

“Everyone is very friendly—we met different schools to discuss construction techniques, all while enjoying the suspense,” Scotch says. 

UB ASCE members committed to an extensive process. The team started designing the build early in fall 2023, tailoring it to Seattle’s architectural and geological factors, as per competition requirements. After receiving ninth place for the structural proposal, over 30 members contributed to constructing the balsa-wood skyscraper optimized to withstand earthquake simulations.

“Our civil curriculum doesn’t incorporate seismic design until graduate school, so we had to reach out to one of our professors, Dr. Tessari. He walked us through the long process of using multiple databases to find the optimal ground motion,” geotechnical project manager Denver Liberty says.

Additionally, the tower went through a considerable redesign during the construction process.

“There’s always a challenge balancing performance and constructability,” explains construction project manager Jacob Liberati. “Do we have a great design that is hard to build or a bad design that is easy to build? Obviously, neither is good and a compromise is necessary, but how far are we willing to go in either direction?”

The seismic design team worked until the deadline, waking up at 8 a.m. to add the finishing touches. On shake day, their diligence led to success—the tower withstood ground motions during simulations, something less than half of the teams accomplished.

Not only did the seismic design team compete at a high level, but they also prioritized developing younger members.

“We wanted to have the younger members experience the competition and bring that experience to future years. They felt inspired and motivated to stay involved in the club and we all meshed well as friends and collaborators,” says lead project manager Tuan Le. “I’m proud of how hard everyone on the team worked. I would not change a single thing about our trip.”

While the students prepare for competitions, Todd Snyder, advisor to UB ASCE and CSEE instructional support specialist, works to maintain the club’s operations.

“Todd helps us with the overall organization of the club. He looks after all three design teams as well as the general body of ASCE,” Chen says. “This includes making sure the budget is up to date and correct, making sure the paperwork is submitted on time and ensuring that the design teams are meeting competition goals on time. He works behind the scenes with members in leadership to ensure that all events are able to run smoothly.”