On April 11th-13th, undergraduate students from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering competed at the 2024 Mid-Atlantic West American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Symposium at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The students—who are members of Catholic University's ASCE Student Chapter—competed in the following two events: ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition and AISC/ASCE Student Steel Bridge Competition.
These are the two most popular events schools can participate in at each annual symposium, where teams compete for a chance to advance to the ASCE national competitions. The projects are assessed not only on the basis of final outcome and performance, but also on the design process.
ASCE student chapters have competed in the Concrete Canoe Competition since the 1970s. The goal of this competition is to design, build, and race a canoe made from concrete. This year was the first time Catholic University has participated in the Concrete Canoe event since 2018. The following students were members of this year’s team: Michael Tysko (2023-2024 ASCE student chapter president and team captain), William Granci, Serena Tewoldeberhan, Jennifer Eattock, Anna Basola, Henry Ogden, Fatima DeLeon, Fiorela Morales-Aleman, Reagan Fawcett, and Jessica Beck. The team placed 3rd in the canoe races and 5th overall.
For the Steel Bridge Competition, students are tasked with designing and fabricating a scale-model bridge that is precisely 20 feet long and can support 2,500 pounds. The bridge is judged on its design, functionality (load tested and weighted), ease and speed of assembly (timed construction), and its aesthetic appeal. The following students were members of this year’s team: Alex Ferrari (team captain), Miles Shealy, Aidan Long, Patrick Dunphy, Helen McDaniel, Jessica Lee, John McLaughlin, Leonardo Morales, Pablo Carreno, and Ethan Hinds. The team placed 1st in lightness, 2nd in efficiency, and 4th overall.
The teams were supported and advised by Dr. Rebecca Kiriazes and Dr. Jason Davison; both Assistant Professors in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Participation in these competitions offers students a chance to extend the knowledge they develop in the classroom, to practical, hands-on work that can improve skills in research and design, teamwork, and leadership. Moreover, students have a chance to improve their networking and communication skills, through developing professional relationships with industry professionals involved in sponsoring projects and facilitating events. These competitions also foster excitement for engineering, further encouraging students to pursue research and design work in the future.
For additional information about these competitions and the ASCE Student Chapter at The Catholic University of America, visit the following websites:
ASCE Mid-Atlantic West website
ASCE National website about Student Symposia
Catholic University ASCE Student Chapter website