Since its inauguration in 1999, UBC Steel Bridge has been designing, fabricating, and constructing 1:10 scale model steel bridges at competitions across North America. Students who participate have the opportunity to gain practical knowledge through hands-on projects that simulate industry standards.
The overall team is divided into design and analysis sub-teams who then create and analyze their own solutions, which lead to a final design based on constraints set by competition rules each year. This design is then drafted into drawings and made into welded parts through collaboration with local fabricators. At each competition, the bridge undergoes load testing and is evaluated on cost, structural efficiency, and construction speed.
The team placed top 3 in the Student Steel Bridge Competition Regionals in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The team also finished in the top 3 in the Canadian National Steel Bridge Competition in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022, with a 1st place win in 2021.
To learn more, visit ubcsteelbridge.ca.