By Grant Guggisberg
K-State News and Communication Services
MANHATTAN — The Kansas State University Steel Bridge team from the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering will compete at the American Institute of Steel Construction National Steel Bridge Competition May 27-28 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
The team took second place in the American Society of Civil Engineers Mid-America Student Symposium regional competition in April. The event challenged participants to create a one-tenth scale steel bridge of approximately 20 feet in length.
The process includes designing and fabricating a bridge to support 2,500 pounds of steel. In competitions, judges look at how the team minimized the bridge's weight and vertical deflection, as well as the time it takes to build the bridge with steel parts. Each part must fit in a box with dimensions of 4 inches by 6 inches by 4 feet.
"This competition provides a real-world experience for students to consider multiple solutions and decide on the best solution for the client," said Scott Schiff, faculty advisor and teaching professor of civil engineering. "Students gain valuable experience functioning as a team and using knowledge from their undergraduate classes."
Members of the Steel Bridge team who will travel to Blacksburg include the following students: Koby Hesse, junior in civil engineering, Greeley; and Austin Deters, May 2022 graduate in civil engineering, Seneca. From out of state: Kurtis Wicka, senior in civil engineering, Paso Robles, California; Reese Perrine, senior in civil engineering, Springfield, Illinois; Johan Rogers, junior in civil engineering, Frederick, Maryland; and Cameron Hicks, senior in architectural engineering, Lee's Summit, Missouri.