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Team Resources
Here, you will find the information you need to know as a team competing in the 2019 AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition.
UW-Madison 2018
THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!
The first SSBC - Regional Event will take place at South Dakota State University on Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23. In total, seventeen Regional Events will take place throughout March and April. By now, each competing team needs to have been in touch with their respective Host School. Please contact your Host immediately if you have not been in communication about your upcoming Regional Event. Contact information for each Regional Event can be found here.
Each Host School has worked hard to organize a successful competition. Student teams have spent countless hours designing, fabricating and constructing their bridges and will finally get to showcase them and their engineering talents on the competition floor. We wish all participants the best of luck, and we hope to see you in Carbondale for the National Finals!
New Competition Guide for Participants
AISC has released a new Competition Guide filled with information, general guidelines and helpful tips for SSBC Teams. This new resource is a supplement to all other SSBC resources provided and is to be used as a companion to the SSBC Rules. This guide can be especially helpful to first-time competitors or those brand new to the competition.
SSBC Structure
SSBC Structure
The Student Steel Bridge Competition (SBBC) is a program sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). There will be 17 SSBC Regional Events with approximately 200 schools participating. The winners of the Regional Events advance to the National Finals.
Regional Events
The 17 Regional Events are organized independently by host schools under the guidance of AISC. View the 2019 Regional Events here. The winners of the Regional Events, with the exception of Guest Teams, advance to the National Finals.
The number of teams from each Regional Event that qualify for the National Finals is dependent on the number teams that have entered the Regional Event, excluding Guest Teams. See the table below:
# of Teams at Regional Event* |
# of Teams that can qualify for National Finals from Regional Event |
| 1-4 teams | 1 team invited to National Finals |
| 5-13 teams | 2 teams invited to National Finals |
| 14-21 teams | 3 teams invited to National Finals |
| 21+ teams | 4 teams invited to National Finals |
*does not include guest teams
National Finals
Top finishers at the 2019 Regional Events qualify to compete at the 2019 National Finals to be held at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, May 31 - June 1. Please note: The competition is not being held on Memorial Day weekend.
Participants
Participants
More than 200 schools are expected to participate in the SSBC. To be eligible to compete, teams must consist of undergraduate and/or graduate students from a college or university with an engineering program licensed or chartered in the United States or U.S. territories. The teams assigned to each Regional Event will be based on the ASCE Student Conference divisions with rare exception.
Non-ASCE Conference Schools
AISC will review requests to join a Regional Event from new schools not already part of an ASCE conference or schools that cannot attend their assigned conference due to schedule conflict or travel issues. Non-ASCE conference schools should complete the team participation form and select 'Not Applicable' for the question 'PLEASE LIST THE ASCE STUDENT CONFERENCE WITH WHICH YOUR SCHOOL IS AFFILIATED'. Once the submission is received, AISC will notify regional host schools to determine where the school(s) can be accommodated. AISC will notify teams of region placement.
International Guest Schools
International teams may be allowed to participate as Guest Teams at Regional Events*. Regional Event host schools are welcome to invite Guest Teams at their discretion. Before inviting Guest Teams, Host Schools will determine if venues can accommodate these additional teams. Some Guest Teams may need a letter of invitation to obtain travel visas. Please contact Sadie Brown (brown@aisc.org) if a letter of invitation is needed.
Learn more about guest teams here.
*AISC does not fund Guest Teams to participate in the Student Steel Bridge Competition. These Guest Teams are not eligible to qualify for the National Finals.
Rules
2019 Rules
All of the Regional Events, as well as the National Finals are based on the same Rules document that describes the competition and states the official Rules. The Rules are developed by the SSBC Rules Committee and are changed every year. The current Rules must be used without modification for every Regional Event and the National Finals. This is necessary so that bridges from all conferences may compete nationally without disadvantage.
Questions & Clarifications
AISC maintains a clarifications page, where the rules can be downloaded and Rules questions are addressed. Rules questions may be submitted only through the official online form. Rules questions are reviewed by the SSBC Rules Committee, and the Rules Committee’s clarifications are posted online for access by all competitors.
Funding
AISC Funding
Regional Events
Teams* registered to participate at a Regional Event will receive $500 in funding from AISC. This funding is provided in the form of a check and will be mailed once your Faculty Advisor registers your team for a Regional Event. Additionally, each faculty advisor will receive hotel reimbursement for their individual stay while attending the Regional Event. (See Guidelines for Faculty Reimbursement and Request Form) Students will not receive hotel reimbursement by AISC.
As one of your team's sponsors, please remember to include AISC in your lists of donors. If you plan to advertise your sponsoring companies, as many teams do, you may use the AISC logo that is available for download here.
*Guest Teams are not eligible to receive funding from AISC.
National Finals
Invitations to the National Finals are extended to the top performing teams at each Regional Event. (See Section 4 of the Rules for specifics on eligibility.) Each team that qualifies for the National Finals receives $1,000 from AISC. This funding is provided in the form of a check and is presented at the Captains' Meeting at the National Finals.
FUNDRAISING
Fabricator Partnerships
To assist your SSBC Team in securing partnerships with local fabricators, please fill out this fabricator partnership request form. Once your solicitation request is submitted, AISC will provide you with a list of member fabricators in your area, as well as a plan of action for your ask. This will include contact information, letter templates, and more. AISC will ensure your team has the most accurate information prior to making your solicitation ask and will provide you with items such as solicitation history, brand use, donor intent, and solicitation language.
School Funding
Clubs are encouraged to request additional funds from their college/ university or engineering department.
Team Solicitation and Sponsorships
In addition to AISC and school funding, we encourage you to raise funds for your team's expenses through fundraisers and sponsorships. Local businesses and alumni are great resources for fundraising!
Local SEA Member Organizations
We encourage you to reach out to your local SEA member organizations for member support!
Registration
Team Registration Required
In addition to registering with AISC by December 31st (see below), all teams need to register for their Regional Event with the Regional Event host. Registration open dates vary with each region. Host's will have a website available with more information by December 15th. The websites will be linked on the Regional Event page.
Register with AISC
AISC Team participation registration in an SSBC- Regional Event is closed. Participating teams will be contacted by their host school in January to register their team for the actual event.
Start an SSBC Club!
There are a variety of ways Student Steel Bridge Competition Teams are structured. One of them is through an SSBC Club. Learn about tips and benefits to forming a club here.
Additional Resources
Plan your Bridge Project
For a successful performance at the Regional Event and National Finals, it’s important to get started early! An example timeline is provided here to ensure your team has the resources necessary, is properly registered, and has enough time to practice constructing your bridge for competition. Note: This timeline may vary depending on school calendar and date of Regional Event.
Team Faculty Advisor Expectations
Please review our faculty advisor expectations to learn about the role.
Branding Guide
While your team is a separate entity of SSBC, we encourage you to follow our branding guidelines on all external communications. Together, through consistent usage and branding, we can communicate a unified message.
Social Media
The official SSBC hashtag is #SSBCxAISC. Be sure to follow the hashtag to see what other SSBC teams are up too! AISC will post your tagged pictures to our instagram, @AISC! View more social media tips here.