This year, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) and the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) hosted the Canadian National Steel Bridge Competition (CNSBC). The highly-anticipated fourth annual event was held at the École Polytechnique de Montréal in Montreal, QC, from May 16-18, 2019.
This exciting two-day program challenged nine university teams to design, fabricate and erect a steel bridge structure that was evaluated in three rounds. The bridges were scored based on lightness, stiffness, safety and construction economy. Each team faced unique set-backs that imitated real-world engineering and construction issues, while racing against the clock, ensuring to work accurately and efficiently to avoid any mistakes. Even a small mis-step in the simulated river could cost them the winning title!
All participating teams put their best foot forward and developed creative and high-quality steel bridges. However, in the end, Ecole de technologie superieure proved to outshine the other 18 competing teams, ranking the highest overall score for the fourth year in a row. Hohai University placed second, University of British Columbia placed third, University of Puerto Rico placed fourth and Université Laval placed fifth.
Every year, the CNSBC challenges students with bright minds and competitive spirits to produce innovative ideas and to collaborate creatively. It’s a fun and competitive platform that gives young engineers the confidence to apply their knowledge and learn from our experienced industry professionals.
We encourage all Canadian universities to not only participate in future competitions, but to come prepared to push the envelope even further. In order to maximize this experience, we’re urging all competing teams to find new ways to attain sponsorship and to utilize the wealth of resources that the CISC has to offer.
Thank you to all participating teams for your hard work and for making memories with us! We’ll see you at the 2020 CNSBC!
