USU to Host Regional Engineering Symposium
The Utah State University Logan campus will host the American Society of Civil Engineers regional symposium for the first time in 11 years.
Yes, they float! The concrete canoe race is a highly anticipated event in which students design and race a canoe made of concrete-mixes.
“We are ecstatic to be hosting the ASCE Intermountain Southwest Symposium,” said Aspen Pearson, the USU ASCE chapter conference coordinator. “Logan is a beautiful place to hold a conference and we can’t wait to show off all our campus has to offer.”
Future engineers will test their mettle against peers from a dozen regional universities in events such as steel bridge building, concrete canoe races, a timber strong design-build and more. The conference will be held April 11-13 and draws students from across the Intermountain West, including Arizona, Nevada and Idaho. It gives students practical experience, allows them to network with peers and – in the case of concrete canoe and steel bridge – gives them a chance to qualify for national championships.
Visit the symposium website for a complete list of participating universities and information on additional events. The events below are free and open to the public.
Thursday, April 11
- 9 a.m. – Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe Display (Spectrum Concourse)
- 1 p.m. – Timber Strong Build (Spectrum Floor)
Friday, April 12
- 7 a.m. – Steel Bridge Build (Spectrum Floor)
- 9:30 a.m. – Sustainable Solutions Presentation (Spectrum Champ Room)
- 1 p.m. – Construction Institute (Spectrum Clover Room)
Saturday, April 13
- 6 a.m. – Concrete Canoe Races (Hyrum Reservoir)
- 8 a.m. – Concrete Bowling (Hyrum Reservoir)
- 7 p.m. – ISWS Banquet (TSC Ballroom)
Notable Events:
During the Steel Bridge event, teams build a functional scale model of a steel bridge and are judged on speed of assembly, weight and more.
Concrete Canoe — Considered the “America’s Cup of Civil Engineering,” this competition combines race, aesthetic and technical elements and provides hands-on experience in project management and concrete-mix design.
Concrete Bowling — Teams make a bowling ball out of concrete and bowl five frames.
Steel Bridge — Teams build a functional scale model of a steel bridge and are judged on speed of assembly, weight, display and the ability to withstand various weight loads.
Timber Strong — A more recent addition to ASCE student competitions, the Timber-Strong challenge has students design and construct a two-story wooden building that is sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and durable.
Surveying Challenge — This competition pits student teams against each other to solve common challenges encountered in the industry. Teams must also complete a topographic mapping project and differential and profile leveling with engineering design.
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Writer: Sydney Dahle, sydney.dahle@usu.edu, 435-797-7512
Contact: Austin Ball, austin.ball@usu.edu, 435-797-2777