Apr 05 2011
This weekend I returned to my alma mater, the University of Michigan, for the North Central Regional student conference. It was the first time that I had attended the annual Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe competition in at least five years. The last time, I helped a team rebuild their broken canoe with left over [...]
May 06 2010
Part 3 In the morning we reassessed our work. The steel tubes seemed a little small compared to the size of the concrete hull. Would the single additional bracing bar between the gunwales be enough to resist the inward thrust of the water? At least the crack appeared closed. With the addition of a large [...]
Apr 25 2010
Part 2 After cheering the steel bridge team onto a first place finish, I led the canoe team to the Home Depot for supplies to reconstruct their canoe. We wandered the aisles searching for inspiration. Frequently, the team members asked, “what do you want us to find?” I had no idea; I would only know [...]
Apr 18 2010
Around this time of year, concrete canoe competitions are being held on several college campuses around the country. These events were typically the highlight of of my ASCE involvement. My favorite story about concrete canoe came the year after I graduated. I had planned to enjoy the competition as a bystander, but the circumstances would [...]
Feb 09 2010
I’ve got a deadline to meet this Friday. Not sure where I’ll find the time to get all of my tasks done, but somehow it always comes together. If you thought that the pressure of working on a deadline would end when you graduated, then think again. Better to gain as much experience handling stress [...]
Nov 27 2009
It may not make the ESPN highlight reels, but the participants in the ASCE/AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition place as much pride in their teamwork as do their schools’ football teams. This inter-collegiate challenge requires civil engineering students to design, fabricate and construct a steel bridge. Those who participate fully in the project learn many [...]
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