June 24, 2019

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND VIDEO AVAILABLE
Please credit AISC unless otherwise indicated.

CHICAGO - Students from Lafayette College successfully defended their national title in the culmination of the 2019 Student Steel Bridge Competition, a flagship program of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).

In all, 41 teams of the country's top student engineers qualified for the national finals, which were held in early June on the campus of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill.

Their challenge: Build a lightweight 25-ft.-long steel bridge that supports 2,500 lbs.—as quickly as possible. This year's design also called for an offset footing on one side of the "river." Students demonstrated an array of creative solutions to meet these design requirements.

"There is so much energy from the students on competition day," said Christina Harber, SE, PE, director of education at AISC. "The level of commitment that they have for learning, achievement, and teamwork is astounding. Their passion for this program will translate into successful careers as engineers."

Lafayette College took first place overall, assembling their bridge in a staggering 3.8 minutes. The team also won first place in the categories of stiffness, construction economy, and structural efficiency.

The University of Alaska Anchorage took home the Frank J. Hatfield Ingenuity Award for an eye-catching bridge design that met the challenge of the offset pier placement by using an asymmetrical combination single arch and deck truss design.

The Rules Committee also recognized the team from Purdue Northwest for their respect and professionalism during the competition and their positive attitude in the face of adversity, sending the team home with the Robert E. Shaw, Jr. Spirit of the Competition Award.

AISC would like to thank Southern Illinois University for hosting the competition in grand style—complete with a pack of the school's Saluki mascots and a camel in keeping with the event’s "Engineer Like an Egyptian" theme, which is a nod to the region’s "Little Egypt" nickname (due to its proximity to the Mississippi River's flood plains).

SSBC: National Finals Winners

Overall

1st Place: Lafayette College
2nd Place: University of Florida
3rd Place: Youngstown State University 

Construction speed

1st Place: Lafayette College
2nd Place: University at Buffalo
3rd Place: SUNY Canton

Lightness

1st Place: Drexel University
2nd Place: The College of New Jersey
3rd Place: The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez

Stiffness

1st Place: Lafayette College
2nd Place: University of Florida
3rd Place: SUNY Canton 

Aesthetics

1st Place: Arkansas State University
2nd Place: University of Colorado Denver
3rd Place: Clarkson University

Construction Economy

1st Place: Lafayette College
2nd Place: Youngstown State University
3rd Place: University of Florida 

Structural Efficiency

1st Place: Lafayette College
2nd Place: The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
3rd Place: University of Alaska Fairbanks

Special Awards

Frank J. Hatfield Ingenuity Award: University of Alaska Anchorage

Rules Committee comments: "The University of Alaska Anchorage team had a unique and innovative design and construction process to address this year's asymmetric bridge requirement."

Robert E. Shaw, Jr. Spirit of the Competition Award: Purdue University Northwest

Rules Committee comments: "The Purdue Northwest team displayed tremendous respect and professionalism during the competition and had a positive attitude in the face of adversity."