Overall Team Description

The Michigan Technological University Steel Bridge Team is a multidisciplinary group of students in the Houghton, MI area that have a passion for applying class related material to real life situations. The team designs, fabricates,and constructs a scale-model bridge based on various sets of standards put forth by AISC (which change each year). The goal of the competition is to optimize weight, deflection, and construction speed while designing an aesthetically pleasing bridge and then competing at the regional and national levels. Steel Bridge is a fun way to get exposed to advanced software, hands-on skills, and open-ended problem solving.

In order to advance to the national competition, the team must place either 1st or 2nd at the regional competition. Michigan Tech is a part of the North Central Region and competes against teams such as University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Ohio Northern University, Lawrence Technological University, Western Michigan University and Wayne State University. The team typically receives a ranking at the regional competition that allows the team to advance to the national level. The Michigan Tech Steel Bridge Team has now been a top contender at the National Student Steel Bridge Competition (NSSBC) for four years in a row and current members of the team hope to continue the great success that we have had over the past years into the coming school year. The team faces engineering departments from schools such as MIT and University of California, Berkeley at the national level. Please see our Competition page to view our past performances.

The Michigan Tech Steel Bridge Team earned 2nd place overall at the 2022 North Central Regional Competition, allowing them to continue to the national competition. The team placed 1st in Economy, 2nd in Construction Speed. 3rd om Efficiency and Stiffness and 4th in Lightness. The hard work that many individuals put into the team was seen at the 2022 National competition. The team placed 2nd in Efficiency and Stiffness, 9th in Construction Speed, 10th in Lightness, and 12th in Economy resulting in 5th place overall.

Updated: September 30, 2022