June 4, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO - More than a thousand student engineers at 102 colleges and universities around the country pulled off a remarkable feat this year: They safely participated in the American Institute of Steel Construction’s Student Steel Bridge Competition, either competing from their own campuses with a fabricated and constructed physical bridge, entering a design-only Supplemental competition, or both.

AISC Thursday announced the results of the national finals, which included 31 of those schools. The Oregon Institute of Technology took first prize overall in the Supplemental competition, and the University of Florida came out on top in the Compete from Campus finals.

“I’m so incredibly impressed with you,” AISC Director of Education Christina Harber told students in a webcast Thursday. “You overcame many obstacles to participate in the competition this year. You probably had a full plate this year with your usual classes and activities, plus many atypical challenging situations. And you chose to participate anyway--not just participate. You excelled.”

Instead of meeting at regional or national events, Compete from Campus teams individually assembled their bridges under the same competition regulations that would have applied at an in-person competition. Industry experts volunteered their time to actually visit campuses and judge the bridge builds; other aspects of the Compete from Campus competition were judged remotely. The Supplemental competition entries consisted of engineering reports and videos, all of which could be judged remotely. 

This year marked the national finals debut of both University of Massachusetts Amherst and University of Texas at Tyler. The University of Wisconsin–Madison has the longest streak of nationals participation, qualifying for more than 20 years.

Without further ado: the winners of the 2021 AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition!

Supplemental Competition

Design:
1st place: Oregon Institute of Technology
2nd place: University of California, Berkeley
3rd place: The George Washington University

Analysis:
1st place: Oregon Institute of Technology
2nd place: University of California, Berkeley
3rd place: Michigan Technological University

Construction sequencing:
1st place: Oregon Institute of Technology
2nd place: University of California, Berkeley
3rd place: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Video:
1st place: University of California, Berkeley
2nd place: Oregon Institute of Technology
3rd place: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Public vote: 
1st place: University of California, Berkeley
2nd place: Oregon Institute of Technology
3rd place: University of Massachusetts Amherst

Overall:
1st place: Oregon Institute of Technology. This prize includes $5,000 in scholarship funds.
2nd place: University of California, Berkeley. This prize includes $3,000 in scholarship funds.
3rd place: Michigan Technological University. This prize includes $2,000 in scholarship funds.

Compete from Campus

Aesthetics:
1st place: University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez
2nd place: Oregon Institute of Technology
3rd place: University of Alaska Fairbanks

Construction speed:
1st place: University of Florida
2nd place: Lafayette College
3rd place: Youngstown State University

Lightness:
1st place: University at Buffalo
2nd place: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
3rd place: University of Wisconsin–Platteville

Construction economy:
1st place: University of Florida
2nd place: Lafayette College
3rd place: Youngstown State University

Structural efficiency:
1st place: University of Wisconsin–Madison
2nd place: University of Wisconsin–Platteville
3rd place: University at Buffalo

Overall:
1st place: University of Florida. This prize includes $5,000 in scholarship funds.
2nd place: Lafayette College. This prize includes $3,000 in scholarship funds.
3rd place: Youngstown State University. This prize includes $2,000 in scholarship funds.

Robert E. Shaw, Jr. Spirit of the Competition Award:
This prize recognizes a team that demonstrates outstanding camaraderie, professionalism, positive work ethic, and respect for their peers. It includes $1,000 in scholarship funds.
University of California, Berkeley, for their deep enthusiasm for the competition and the support displayed for their teammates

Frank J. Hatfield Ingenuity Award:
This prize recognizes the team that shows the most engineering ingenuity in the design and/or construction of their bridge, based on the requirements of the competition rules. It includes $1,000 in scholarship funds.
University of Alaska Fairbanks, for their unique truss with splayed ends, featuring offset top chord and web members and connection to the bridge piers as well as an innovative twist-lock connection