This award recognizes teams that foster equity, diversity, and inclusion. It celebrates formidable teams of smart people who draw from a broad array of backgrounds and experiences.

These backgrounds and experiences also may be very diverse. Your team will embrace the participation of all students regardless of race; color; religion or faith; sex; or the many other characteristics listed in the Competition Rules. Beyond that, some of your teammates may be just starting their undergraduate careers, while others may be on the cusp of entering professional practice with an advanced degree. Some may study topics outside of engineering. Perhaps some demonstrate a remarkable commitment to the team by participating while working full-time. Still, others may juggle family life and build practice sessions, or be dedicated to following their own non-traditional educational path.

By creating an inclusive environment, you will benefit not just this year, but you will also sow the seeds for the future success of your team as you cultivate new leaders and establish a culture and processes to maximize participation and innovation.

The SSBC Team Engagement Award is presented to a team that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to building a diverse team, creating an inclusive environment, and appreciating the value of remarkable individuals working together to succeed. The basis for this competition is a one- to two-page written narrative that details how the team benefited from its efforts toward equity and diversity during recruiting, training, and while working together to design and create the best bridge they can.

All teams that compete at a Regional Competition are eligible for this award; participation is not mandatory and will have no effect on scoring and other facets of the competition. 

The award is named for Robert E. Shaw, Jr. who founded the Student Steel Bridge Competition in the spring of 1987 as a means of challenging university and college students to use their engineering skills to design, fabricate, construct and test a scaled version of a ​steel​ ​bridge​ in a friendly competition.

The Robert E. Shaw, Jr. Spirit of the Competition Award is presented to a ​team​ that demonstrates outstanding ​team​ camaraderie, professionalism, positive work ethic, and respect for their competition peers.

All teams that compete at the SSBC National Finals are eligible for this award. In addition, AISC will provide a $1,000 AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition Scholarship to a student or students of the team's choosing for the upcoming academic year. Winning teams must select the student(s) by September 1, 2023.

The award is named for Frank J. Hatfield who was the Chair of the Student Steel Bridge Competition Rules Committee during its first three decades of existence. He was responsible for orchestrating the many evolutions of the rules since the first Student Steel Bridge Competition in 1992 and was involved in the competition from its inception.

The Frank J. Hatfield Ingenuity Award is presented to a ​team​ that shows the most engineering ingenuity in the design and/or construction of their ​bridge​ based on the requirements of the competition rules.

All teams that compete at the SSBC National Finals are eligible for this award. In addition, AISC will provide a $1,000 AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition Scholarship to a student or students of the team's choosing for the upcoming academic year. Winning teams must select the student(s) by September 1, 2023.

Upon John Yadlosky’s retirement from HDR--following a storied career as a leading steel bridge designer and mentor to generations of engineers--friends and colleagues gifted nearly $20,000 in donations to the AISC Education Foundation in Yadlosky’s name. In collaboration with AISC and the Education Foundation, he decided these funds would be best used to support budding Student Steel Bridge Competition (SSBC) teams. Enter the John M. Yadlosky SSBC Most Improved Team Award.

While some teams have access to abundant resources and can learn from a history of success, others may start with very little. The most determined teams will overcome these challenges and take their team’s performance to the next level to set a foundation for future success. We’re looking for demonstrated year-over-year improvement of your team’s performance and how your team will seek to improve in the future.

For the 2023 SSBC John M. Yadlosky Most Improved Team Award, eligible teams must have participated (presented for aesthetics judging and staged bridge for construction) in an SSBC regional competition in 2023 and 2022. Participation, rankings, and scores will be verified. As part of the application, teams will also describe their challenges and how they would plan to use the award funds.

The winning team will receive a $2,000 grant to help them in next year’s competition. One representative from the winning team will be invited to attend the 2023 SSBC National Finals and will receive travel reimbursement for their hotel and airfare. (Some restrictions apply.) This trip is intended to expose the team to the top level of competition.

Learn more about John Yadlosky and his AISC Lifetime Achievement Award.

Teams may compete in the optional video award category provided their bridge is presented for aesthetics judging and staged for timed construction at a regional competition. Entries must be received by 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight-Saving Time, May 1, 2023 to be considered. Only one entry per team will be accepted.

This optional award category is based on a 6-minute-maximum recording that conveys the features of the design, analysis process undertaken to verify the design meets the structural specifications, fabrication methods, construction procedures, and overall appeal of the bridge to the owner. (See section 6.2.9 of the SSBC Rules at aisc.org/ssbcrules for more information.)

Congratulations to the 2023 winners!

1. Brigham Young University
2. Iowa State University
3. University of British Columbia