After qualifying for nationals in April, the Oregon Tech Steel Bridge team was announced as first-place winner of the 2021 American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Student Steel Bridge Supplemental Competition.
Announced by AISC:
More than a thousand student engineers at 102 colleges and universities around the country participated in the 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.
The AISC National Student Competition is an annual event open to the top contenders from AISC regional events held throughout the nation. In the regional event, Oregon Tech’s steel bridge team placed first overall in the supplemental competition, earning them a spot at the national competition.
The competition challenged students to design, fabricate, and construct a structurally efficient 20-foot long steel bridge to safely support 2,500 pounds. The competition gives students applied experience, an opportunity to combine skills and creativity, as well as training in teamwork, communication and project management skills. It challenges students' knowledge, creativity and stamina, while displaying the versatility and durability of their projects. They placed in the top third of nationals qualifiers in the Compete from Campus finals.
Team advisor, Dr. C.J. Riley shared, “The team spent well over 1,000 hours collectively designing and fabricating the bridge. I cannot emphasize how impressed I am with their efforts. Their attention to every detail has been amazing to watch and support. They brought national recognition to Oregon Tech that we have not had since 2007, by going to nationals in 2019, and winning the supplemental competition at nationals this year.”
The team is also the recipient of the 2021 Oregon Tech Pride Award. First introduced in 2003 by the Student Awards Commission, the award honors the student or students whose accomplishments bring outstanding recognition and pride to Oregon Tech. Members of the 2021 ASCE Steel Bridge Team are: Grant Banister (Master of Science in Civil Engineering); Michael Hoie (Bachelor of Science & Master of Science in Civil Engineering); Kayla deHoop (Bachelor of Science & Master of Science in Civil Engineering); Ian Pargeter (Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering); and Evan Worthington (Freshman, Bachelor of Science & Master of Science in Civil Engineering).
Visitors to the Klamath Falls campus can view the most attractive student steel bridge in the mainland United States in the south foyer of Cornett Hall, given the team’s second-place ranking in aesthetics. The Supplemental Competition win means that next year’s team will have an automatic bid to nationals.
For more information about Oregon Tech’s Civil Engineering program, visit www.oit.edu/academics/degrees/civil-engineering.
