The Bridge

Design

The design process begins when the official competition rules are released at the beginning of the year. The team meets to discuss and brainstorm ideas based on the given build scenario and dimensional constraints. Using programs such as AutoCAD and Visual Analysis, various bridge models are designed and analyzed for their performance. After many iterations, stronger models are identified and further optimized. Near the end of this process, a final design is chosen that best meets team goals for performance and efficiency.

Fabrication

Once the design phase is complete, the fabrication process begins. This hands-on experience teaches students to cut, mill, and weld steel sections with precision, using detailed plans of the chosen bridge design. Many students find this phase to be their favorite because they are able to witness their concepts come to life from the ground up. Months of working together toward a shared goal fosters a strong sense of camaraderie for all members of the team.

Assembly

After the bridge is fully fabricated and passes its initial load test, the assembly team begins practice. Assembly team members are typically chosen from those who have dedicated the most hours in fabrication and are quick on their feet, possess strong hand-eye coordination, and show a high level of commitment.

Practice sessions are held three to four nights a week, each lasting a few hours, leading up to the ASCE regional conference. Early practice runs start slowly as each member learns their specific tasks, but times are recorded after every run to track progress. By competition day, the team has refined their assembly routine to perfection, down to every detail.

Competition

After countless hours spent designing, fabricating, and assembling the bridge, it’s time for the ultimate test of speed and skill. The team travels to a local university to compete against over 20 other schools, each vying for a chance to represent their institution at Nationals.

On the first day, each university presents its bridge for aesthetic judging and verification to ensure it meets all visual requirements. The second day focuses on assembly and load testing, with bridges scored on construction time, weight, stiffness, economy, efficiency, and aesthetics. An evening banquet concludes the event, where awards are presented to the top three schools in each category. The overall winners, determined by performance across all criteria, earn the chance to represent the Southeast region at the national Steel Bridge Competition.

UF participates in several events at the ASCE Student Conference, with each event contributing toward the overall conference championship.