Lakehead U’s Civil Engineering Steel Bridge Team Places 4th at US National Competition
(Thunder Bay - June 6, 2007) After placing second overall at the American Institute of Steel Construction/American Society of Civil Engineers Mid-West Regional Student Steel Bridge Competition in March, Lakehead University 's Civil Engineering Steel Bridge team went to Los Angeles , California , with a new lightweight bridge design and a drive to succeed.
In competition at the 16th Annual US National Student Steel Bridge Competition against 42 other university teams, Lakehead's team placed 4th overall and took home 1st place in the construction economy category.
"This is a national competition that pits Lakehead engineering students against those from large American universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Texas A & M University, and Michigan State University," says Dr. Tony Gillies, Faculty Advisor to the team and Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at Lakehead U. "Our students consistently do well; Lakehead has qualified for the national competition every year since 1999 by placing in the top two at the regional competition."
The 16th Annual AISC/ASCE US National Student Steel Bridge Competition was hosted by California State University , Northridge, May 26 and May 27 in Los Angeles .
The goal of the competition is to design a 1/10 scale model for replacement of a century-old bridge that crosses a river and floodway. The models, approximately 21 feet long, are erected under simulated field conditions and then load tested. The specification for the bridge changes from year to year, constantly challenging the engineering skills of Civil Engineering students from universities all over the United States and Canada . Not only does the event test the students' structural design capabilities, it also challenges them to fabricate and construct their design. The bridges are judged based on lightness, construction speed, stiffness (deflection), aesthetics, efficiency (combination of bridge weight and stiffness), and economy (construction time and labour in building a real bridge).
The bridge is designed and the components fabricated at the University by the students prior to the competition. At the competition, the spectators watch as the team assembles their bridge as quickly as possible. After construction, the assembled bridge is weighed to determine which is the lightest bridge in the competition, and then loaded using 100 25 lb lengths of angle iron to simulate a loaded truck crossing the bridge, with a total applied load of 2500 lbs (more than ten times the weight of the bridge). This tests the strength and stiffness. The placement of the loading was determined by two rolls of a dice. The team had to design their bridge by examining thirty-six possible load cases.
The Lakehead bridge weighed 149.5 lbs (fourth lightest) and was assembled in 2.8 minutes by the four student constructors. The bridge took 1st place for construction economy, 3rd for assembly time, 4th for lightness, 9th for display (aesthetics) and 15th for structural efficiency --placing 4th overall.
Lakehead's teams have done consistently well at the national level, placing 10th in 2001, 2nd in 2002, and 5th in 2003 and 2006.
The team is grateful for the support of the many local and national sponsors who made participation possible at the regional and national competitions. The team members are: Will Bamsey, Troy Hengen, Amanda Krueger, James Lee, and Tom Lovric. The faculty advisors are Dr. Tony Gillies and Dr. Timo Tikka, both with the Faculty of Engineering at Lakehead U.
In competition at the 16th Annual US National Student Steel Bridge Competition against 42 other university teams, Lakehead's team placed 4th overall and took home 1st place in the construction economy category.
"This is a national competition that pits Lakehead engineering students against those from large American universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Texas A & M University, and Michigan State University," says Dr. Tony Gillies, Faculty Advisor to the team and Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at Lakehead U. "Our students consistently do well; Lakehead has qualified for the national competition every year since 1999 by placing in the top two at the regional competition."
The 16th Annual AISC/ASCE US National Student Steel Bridge Competition was hosted by California State University , Northridge, May 26 and May 27 in Los Angeles .
The goal of the competition is to design a 1/10 scale model for replacement of a century-old bridge that crosses a river and floodway. The models, approximately 21 feet long, are erected under simulated field conditions and then load tested. The specification for the bridge changes from year to year, constantly challenging the engineering skills of Civil Engineering students from universities all over the United States and Canada . Not only does the event test the students' structural design capabilities, it also challenges them to fabricate and construct their design. The bridges are judged based on lightness, construction speed, stiffness (deflection), aesthetics, efficiency (combination of bridge weight and stiffness), and economy (construction time and labour in building a real bridge).
The bridge is designed and the components fabricated at the University by the students prior to the competition. At the competition, the spectators watch as the team assembles their bridge as quickly as possible. After construction, the assembled bridge is weighed to determine which is the lightest bridge in the competition, and then loaded using 100 25 lb lengths of angle iron to simulate a loaded truck crossing the bridge, with a total applied load of 2500 lbs (more than ten times the weight of the bridge). This tests the strength and stiffness. The placement of the loading was determined by two rolls of a dice. The team had to design their bridge by examining thirty-six possible load cases.
The Lakehead bridge weighed 149.5 lbs (fourth lightest) and was assembled in 2.8 minutes by the four student constructors. The bridge took 1st place for construction economy, 3rd for assembly time, 4th for lightness, 9th for display (aesthetics) and 15th for structural efficiency --placing 4th overall.
Lakehead's teams have done consistently well at the national level, placing 10th in 2001, 2nd in 2002, and 5th in 2003 and 2006.
The team is grateful for the support of the many local and national sponsors who made participation possible at the regional and national competitions. The team members are: Will Bamsey, Troy Hengen, Amanda Krueger, James Lee, and Tom Lovric. The faculty advisors are Dr. Tony Gillies and Dr. Timo Tikka, both with the Faculty of Engineering at Lakehead U.
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Media Interviews: Dr. Gillies can be reached at 343-8755 and Dr. Tikka at 343-8560 for interviews. Photos are available by calling Frances Harding at 343-8193.
If you have any questions regarding this media release, please call Frances Harding, Editor, Publications, Lakehead University , (807) 343-8193 email: frances.harding@lakeheadu.ca
About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay , Ontario and a campus in Orillia , Ontario , Lakehead has over 7,700 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada 's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University , visit www.lakeheadu.ca.
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay , Ontario and a campus in Orillia , Ontario , Lakehead has over 7,700 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada 's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University , visit www.lakeheadu.ca.