Each year, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Steel Bridge Team designs, fabricates, and tests a steel bridge to compete in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Rocky Mountain Regional Conference.
The Steel Bridge competition is intended to give students a practical problem-solving scenario involving teamwork and application of classroom theory in addition to a real-world design situation. This competition requires students to design, fabricate, and construct a steel bridge that is a minimum of 25 feet in length, 3.5 feet in width, and able to withstand a load of 2500 pounds.
Scoring is based on the time it takes to assemble the bridge at competition, the overall efficiency of the bridge, how much it moves after the 2500 lb. load has been applied, and the total weight of the bridge.
The competition simulates a bridge being constructed over a river. The water boundaries on the river are taped out, resulting in time penalties for team members crossing into the river. This competition helps students gain valuable hands-on experience by adhering to very strict rules and specifications. It also allows them to compete regionally, and those regional winners move on to the national competition, which offers students an even greater chance to grow in their professional careers.
