The Steel Bridge Design Team consists of ASCE members who design and construct a scale size bridge entirely from structural steel. The rules of the design and construction are provided by the National ASCE organization. These rules provide a fictitious problem statement under which the bridge must be built. The rules call out the required size of the bridge, usually one-tenth actual size, as well as other parameters including member types and sizes, loading requirements, and clearances.

Each year, the Virginia Tech steel bridge design team competes in the regional competition with other schools in Virginia and West Virginia. The competition is based on bridge weight, construction time, stiffness, and aesthetics. The winner of the regionals goes on to compete in the national competition with schools from across the United States and a few schools in Canada and Mexico.

In April of 2006, the VT Steel Bridge team won first place at the Virginias' Conference Regionals. The team went on to compete at the national competition in Salt Lake City, Utah in May 2006, where they placed 16th out of 45 overall.

Contact the steel bridge coordinator for more information.

Last Updated: April 2007