Chico State Wins Regional Bridge Competition

Chico’s B-team loads steel bridge after construction. (photo KM)

The American Institute of Steel Construction Steel Bridge Competition, Mid-Pacific Region, was a tremendous success. On Saturday, April 4, five hundred participants and spectators gathered on the CSU, Chico, campus to construct and load-test twenty-foot-long steel bridges over a simulated river. Civil engineering students from CSU, Chico, Sacramento, and Fresno; San Francisco State University;UC, Davis; and UN, Reno participated.

The Chico State A-team placed first in four categories of evaluation: speed of assembly, efficiency, economy, and lightness. They earned first place overall. Second place was awarded to UN, Reno, which also placed first in the remaining two categories, stiffness and aesthetics. Both of these teams will now be fine-tuning their bridges in preparation for the national competition, to be held May 22-23 at Colorado State University, Fort Collins.

This is the second year in a row that Chico State has won the regional competition and advanced to nationals. Last year, Chico finished 24th of forty universities. This year, Chico State has first place at the nationals in mind.

The Chico State team consisted of Civil Engineering students Jon Mohle, Travis Christie, Scott Kennedy, and Keith Doglio.

This year Chico also entered a second bridge in the competition to increase student involvement. The B-team consisted of Brandon Summerrill, Suzanne Combs, Jason Zwinggi, and Josh Wallace. Though the B-team did not earn a top placing, Russell Mills, adviser to the competition, described them as "exceptional for their enthusiasm and effort."

Russell Mills, Civil Engineering