MARIETTA, Ga. | Jun 5, 2019

Student civil engineering team places 12th among best collegiate competitors

For the fourth time in five 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 nine students from the University’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, finished 12th overall in a field featuring universities from across the U.S., beating out competition teams from 29 other institutions including Brigham Young University, the University of Wisconsin, Kansas State University and Texas A&M University. Engineering students Chandler Cooper, Gehu Bautista Santiago, Bryan Dutra, Kushal Ankola, Kim McDonald, Nensi Mistry, Francesca Del Aguila, Christian Marshal and Eric Shults traveled to Southern Illinois University last week for the competition.

Teams were scored in categories such as construction, lightness, display, stiffness, economy and efficiency. This year, the Kennesaw State team built its 203-pound, 22-foot-long bridge in just six minutes and 16 seconds, the sixth fastest time overall, and finished 11th in economy. The overall design costs were projected to be about $6.6 million. Last year, Kennesaw State placed 18th overall. This year marks the University’s highest finish since 2015.

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.

– Travis Highfield

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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.