TCNJ ASCE STEEL BRIDGE 2014

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

The National Student Steel Bridge Competition is a competition sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Civil engineering students are responsible for the design, fabrication, and construction of a scaled steel bridge and are judged on multiple criteria.

An intercollegiate competition, the purpose of the Steel Bridge Competition is for engineering students to apply engineering principals and theories to a realistic problem statement. Students will gain experience in structural design, fabrication and manufacturing processes, construction management, and teamwork through the completion of this project.

The judges examine a variety of criteria to determine the winning bridge. However, the most imporant aspect of the bridge is its safety. Safety is held to a high priority and it is expected that the bridge meet all requirements in this category.

The rules and regulations allow for multiple types of designs. Students must consider which design will best meet all the judging criteria and select the one they believe is most appropriate. Varying types of designs should be analyzed before the final selection is made.

There are two competitions: regional and national. The regional competition will occur at the New Jersey Institue of Technology in Newark, New Jersey in April 2014. The national competition will occur at the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio from May 23-24, 2014.

A university may only submit one bridge for competition and only undergraduate and graduate students in good standing with the local student ASCE chapter may participate. The amount of teams invited to nationals from a regional competition depends on how many teams participated in the regional competition. Based on previous years, the Steel Bridge team anticipates five-ten participants, which means two teams would advance to nationals.

The problem statement that the students have to design for changes every year. This year's design problem quoted from the original AISC 2014 Rule Book is as follows.

"The eighty-year old timber trestle that carries a spur of the NE&SW railroad over the Spodumene River is essential for transporting ore from United Voltaic’s lithium mine but has deteriorated beyond repair and must be replaced. A continuous supply of lithium is vital to production of batteries for hybrid electric vehicles. Disruption of ongoing railroad activities must be minimized, and bridge construction completed expeditiously within a limited time window. Therefore, the contract demands Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) methods.

NE&SW specifies steel because it supports fast erection and reduces mobility impacts, all of which are essential to ABC. Steel’s durability and high level of recycled content also contribute to exceptional sustainability. The high strength to weight ratio of steel assures an efficient structure, and prefabricated elements and systems (PBES) help to reduce construction time and expedite ABC.

The state Department of Natural Resources will not approve permanent piers in the river and requires adequate clearance under the bridge to accommodate extreme high water. However, barges and a temporary pier will be permitted during construction.

Location and size of the staging area are restricted by topography, and dimensions and weight of equipment and transported material are limited by the narrow railroad cut.

The scope of the bridge contract does not include deck panels or removal of the timber trestle. The new bridge will rest on existing footings.

Your company’s proposal is among those that NE&SW deems responsive, and winning the contract would establish your team as a leader in Accelerated Bridge Construction technologies. Each competing firm is requested to submit a 1:10 scale model to demonstrate its concept. Models will be erected under simulated field conditions and will be tested for stability, strength, and serviceability using standardized lateral and vertical loads. N&SW engineers will judge the models by multiple criteria including durability,

constructability, usability, stiffness, construction speed, efficiency, economy,

and attractiveness. The contract will be awarded to the company whose model satisfies specified requirements and best achieves project objectives. Any attempt to gain advantage by circumventing the intent of the competition as expressed by the Rules, including this Problem Statement, will be grounds for rejecting the model and terminating the company’s eligibility."

The main priority in the competition is the safety of all individuals involved. Judges are allowed to stop any activity that they deem is hazardous to someone's safety. If a bridge is questionable, it will not be loaded. It is expected that students will be supervised by a professional while working.