MARIETTA, Ga. | May 31, 2018

Team topped collegiate competitors from U.S., Canada and Mexico

For the third time in four years, Kennesaw State University’s Steel Bridge Student Competition Team earned a top-20 finish at the American Society of Civil Engineers/American Institute of Steel Construction’s Student Steel Bridge Competition.

The team, composed of students from the University’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, finished 18^th overall in a field featuring universities from across the U.S., Mexico, Canada, China and Puerto Rico. The competition was held at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on May 25-26.

Teams were scored in categories such as construction, lightness, display, stiffness, economy and efficiency. This year, the Kennesaw State team built its 185-pound bridge in just four minutes and 32 seconds, the ninth fastest time overall, and finished top 10 in bridge display. The overall design costs were projected to be about $4.3 million, besting designs from teams representing New York University, the University of Connecticut, North Carolina State University and the University of Washington. Last year, Kennesaw State placed 24^th overall.

According to ASCE, the annual fast-paced steel bridge student competition increases awareness of engineering issues such as spatial constraints, material properties, strength, serviceability, fabrication and erection processes, safety, aesthetics and cost; and prepares students for the challenges facing the engineering industry.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.