UC chapter thrives at civil engineering competition
The University of Cincinnati’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers placed top three in six categories at the Ohio Valley Student Conference.
The conference, which took place over the weekend at the University of Akron, invited colleges and universities across the state to compete in eight engineering-based design and build events. These activities test students’ technical skills, as well as leadership and teamwork.
“It’s a good mental exercise for all the kids that participate, it’s a great leadership experience and it’s just a good opportunity to get involved on campus,” said Jacob Nicewaner, president of the UC chapter.
UC’s chapter placed in the following categories:
- Concrete canoe (3rd overall, 2nd design report).
- Steel bridge (3rd overall).
- Civil site design (1st overall).
- Surveying (2nd overall).
- Balsa wood bridge (2nd overall).
- Concrete frisbee (3rd overall).
It’s a good mental exercise for all the kids that participate, it’s a great leadership experience and it’s just a good opportunity to get involved on campus.
Jacob Nicewaner, President, UC's chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers
UC students construct a steel bridge at the Ohio Valley Student Conference. Photo/Provided
The two largest events of the weekend were the concrete canoe competition and the steel bridge competition.
For the concrete canoe competition, students designed and constructed a canoe from lightweight concrete in the semesters leading up to the competition. They then raced their canoe against other teams at the competition.
For the steel bridge competition, students designed and then fabricated parts of a bridge. On competition day, they built the bridge in front of judges.
Every event also exposed students to many professional opportunities.
“The payoff for involvement goes deeper than just building your resume,” said Nicewaner. “As you progress through the ranks of these competitions, you start to intertwine and network with industry.”
The good results come two weeks after UC’s chapter received the Distinguished Chapter Award. The chapter is one of only 10 schools in the country to receive the award.
Featured image at top: UC students pose at the concrete canoe competition. Photo/Provided
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