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�� Civil Engineering students compete at regional concrete canoe and steel bridge events

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May 14, 2025

Students and Faculty with the Concrete Canoe

�� Civil Engineering students participated in the American Society of Civil Engineers Pacific Northwest Student Symposium held April 4 in Portland.

Student-led teams competed in the Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge Competitions against teams from universities in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska.

The concrete canoe team placed fourth in the presentation portion of the competition and sixth overall. The concrete canoe competition allows students to gain hands-on practical experience while testing their skills with concrete mix design, mold construction, concrete placement, and project management challenges. Participants also take part in races, including 200- and 400-meter sprints with 180-degree turns and a 200-meter slalom course to demonstrate performance.

Steel Bridge team and Faculty Advisor sitting on the steel bridge

The steel bridge team placed fourth in the competition's cost estimate and lightness segments and sixth overall. The steel bridge competition challenges students to design, fabricate, and construct a structurally efficient 20-foot-long steel bridge to safely support 2,500 pounds. Bridges are also load-tested, weighed, and judged on construction speed, stiffness, and aesthetics.

The competition gave students an opportunity to combine their engineering skills and creativity with experience in teamwork, communication, and project management.