Jonathan Kuchem and S&T's Steel Bridge Team ready to build

2015 Apr 23

A team of students from Missouri University of Science and Technology will test the principles of bridge building by constructing a scale-model steel bridge as part of the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2015 Mid-Continent Student Conference.

The conference will be held Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, at the University of Kansas, located in Lawrence, Kansas.

Jonathan Kuchem, a sophomore in civil engineering from Augusta, Missouri, is part of the Steel Bridge Team.

Missouri S&T's Steel Bridge Design Team will compete with other regional collegiate teams to construct its bridge as fast as possible. The competition is scored based on a dollar amount rather than a points system. This scoring simulates the actual accounting process involved in determining the budget for an actual bridge construction project.

The bridge is scored on its weight and rigidity, construction speed and the number of team members building the bridge. Penalties are assessed for infractions like dropping bolts, holding two pieces of the bridge at once and stepping over designated lines. Each bridge is also "load tested" to see if it can hold a required amount of weight.

This year, Missouri S&T's team designed an over-truss bridge, with steel beams that arch across the top of the road portion of the bridge. It weighs approximately 160 pounds and is comprised of fewer than 50 pieces.