UMaine to host regional engineering conference, concrete canoe, steel bridge competition
The University of Maine Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will participate in and host the New England ASCE Regional Student Conference April 12–14.
The event is one of 19 conferences held annually where students come together for a business meeting, professional/technical presentations, competitions, social activities and an awards banquet.
The UMaine Steel Bridge Team, which is sponsored by the American Institute and Steel Construction (AISC), also will host the New England AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition.
UMaine is hosting the competitions the same weekend to accommodate students who wish to attend, and participate in, both events. More than 350 students and professionals are expected from schools in the Northeastern United States, as well as parts of Eastern Canada.
The ASCE conference offers students from around the region the opportunity to network, socialize and participate in engineering-related competition. The contests give team members the opportunity to apply design and construction concepts learned in the classroom through extracurricular, student-led activities during the academic year.
Competitions include:
Concrete Canoe
Each team must design and construct a high-strength and low-density concrete that provides a canoe with structural integrity while it floats. Canoe display and judging will take place 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturday, April 13 in the IMRC Center. Canoe races will be held 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 14 at the Fourth Street Boat Launch in Old Town. Spectators are welcome at the Sunday races. UMaine’s team consists of 16 students. The contest is a precursor for teams aiming to compete in the ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition to be held in June at the Florida Institute of Technology.
Sustainable Solutions Competition — Dog House Challenge
The Sustainable Solutions Competition challenges teams of up to five students to design and construct structures based on real-world issues facing the civil engineering community. The 2019 Sustainable Solutions Competition challenges teams to design and build a temporary shelter which can house a displaced dog during the aftermath of a disaster or emergency. Along with satisfying programmatic and structural design criteria, the building must employ sustainable design and construction practices. Completed shelters will be donated to local animal rescue groups. The dog houses will be on display and judged 8 a.m.–10:30 a.m. April 13 in Alfond Arena. UMaine has one team of four students competing.
Student Steel Bridge Competition
The goal of the AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition is to design, fabricate and erect a 23-foot-long steel bridge with a span of 22 feet. At competition, bridges are judged on construction time, weight, stiffness, load capacity and aesthetics. UMaine’s team of six students chose a bar joist system. A full design was performed using methods the team members learned in classes. The team built their bridge with the support of Dewey Clark of Clark’s Machine Shop in Clinton and Cives Steel Co. in Augusta. Top finishers at the regional events qualify to compete at the national finals to be held at Southern Illinois University, May 31–June 1. Bridge construction and loading will take place 8 a.m.–6 p.m. April 13 in the New Balance Field House and is open to the public.
For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Melissa Landon, melissa.landon@maine.edu; 581.2981.
More about the New England Regional ASCE Student Conference is on Facebook. Additional details about the national ASCE conference and AISC contests also are on the organizations’ websites.