For the second year in a row, student engineers from the University of Florida took first place in the Student Steel Bridge Competition.

This year, the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) challenged students across North America to design, analyze, fabricate, and construct a conceptual scaled steel bridge to serve as a hypothetical crossing in the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge.

The conceptual bridge would allow users to access trails on both sides of Sweetwater River and also provide better access for park service vehicles. It would be able to support the weight of pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians as well as maintenance and park vehicles. This is a wildlife refuge, so engineers would have to respect the existing habitat--no construction activity could take place within the river.

This year’s NASCC: The Steel Conference, which took place in Charlotte in April, was the biggest ever, drawing nearly 6,000 in-person attendees to take advantage of the ample networking opportunities, more than 200 sessions, and an exhibit hall with more than 300 companies. Click through our album for a virtual NASCC experience! You can also read a recap of the event in “Racing to Charlotte” in the June 2023 issue. (All photos: Chris Jenkins.)