The team of UTSA civil engineering students competed at the 2018 National Student Steel Bridge Competition.
(June 21, 2018) -- A team of 12 UTSA civil engineering students competed at the 2018 National Student Steel Bridge Competition recently after winning top honors at the 2018 Texas-Mexico Region Student Steel Bridge Competition in April. In addition to winning the competition’s first ever Frank J. Hatfield Ingenuity Award for the unique design of their bridge, which came with a $1,000 prize, the students placed fourth in construction speed and 20th overall out of 42 competing teams from across the nation.
This was the fifth time out of the last six years that a UTSA team competed at the National Student Steel Bridge Competition. This year’s team included Matthew Salz, Ahmad Al Heety, Arantza Arriata, Evan Batton, Paul Dart, Charles Garcia, Philip Gutierrez, Ana Laura Lopez, Mason Richardson, Diego Valdez, Cristopher Velasquez and Melissa Villaseñor.
Participation in the UTSA Steel Bridge Team teaches students structural engineering problem solving, practical machine shop skills and teamwork with other engineers. After preparing for eight months, the team competed against the best engineering schools in the region.
“Going to the National Steel Competition is a great reward for the students,” said Manuel Diaz, chair of the UTSA Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “They put in countless hours of preparation for the competition, sacrificing evening and weekends.”
The inter-collegiate competition is an exciting visual display of students’ structural design and analysis skills at work. Teams are challenged to design, fabricate and construct their own one-tenth-scale steel bridge in the shortest time and under specific building constraints that reflect real-life structural specifications and construction regulations.
The Student Steel Bridge Competition also increases awareness of real-world engineering issues such as spatial constraints, material properties, strength, serviceability, fabrication and erection processes, safety, esthetics and cost.
ASCE-UTSA has been an active participant in the steel bridge competition since 1989. In the many years UTSA has participated, students have brought home numerous first place regional trophies for overall performance and many category awards.
The 2018 National Student Steel Bridge Competition was hosted by American Institute of Steel Construction and American Society of Civil Engineers.
Learn more about the UTSA College of Engineering.
Learn more about the National Student Steel Bridge Competition.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Join us on your lunch or 30 minute wellness break and "Lego" of your stress with fun activities like Legos, PlayDoh, coloring pages, puzzles and more!
Mesquite Room (SU 2.01.24,) Student Union, Main CampusMove In To COLFA is strongly recommended for new students in COLFA. It gives you the chance to learn about the Student Success Center, campus resources and meet new friends!
Academic Classroom: Lecture Hall (MH 2.01.10,) McKinney Humanities BldgWe invite you to join us for Birds Up! Downtown, an exciting welcome back event designed to connect students with the different departments at the Downtown Campus. Students will have the opportunity to learn about some of the departments on campus, gain access to different resources, and collect some giveaways!
Bill Miller PlazaCome and celebrate this year's homecoming at the Downtown Campus with food, games, giveaways, music, and more. We look forward to seeing your Roadrunner Spirit!
Bill Miller PlazaThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
