Cal Poly Society of Civil Engineers Dominates Regional Competition

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly’s Society of Civil Engineers (SCE) pulled off a “three-peat” at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Pacific Southwest Regional Conference on April 10-11. The group was named the overall conference champion for the third year in a row, bringing Cal Poly’s winning record to 14 out of the last 16 years.

SCE brought 80 members to the conference – hosted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas – and competed in 15 events. The group won first in the Concrete Canoe, Steel Bridge, Tug-O-War, and Geotechnical events; second in Quiz Bowl; third in Surveying; and fourth in Dodgeball. Faculty members Garrett Hall and Eric Kasper advised the teams.

The first-place wins in the Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe secured berths for Cal Poly in the ASCE national competitions. The ASCE – AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition will be held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. on May 28-29, while Cal Poly is hosting the National Concrete Canoe Competition from June 17-19. Racing events are set to take place at Lopez Lake Park in San Luis Obispo County.

“One reason we are so successful at this competition each year is because of our ability to pass on knowledge from year to year,” notes SCE President Steve Gurske. “We work hard to get as many underclassmen involved in SCE as possible. Another reason for our success is our members have more hands-on experience, which gives Cal Poly a huge advantage.”

The concrete canoe took a year to design and construct. It was judged on technical aspects, presentation and races. Cal Poly swept all the race events, including Men's Slalom, Women's Slalom, Men's Sprint, and Women's Sprint.

The steel bridge team was also judged on a variety of aspects and events. It placed second in Stiffness, second in Structural Efficiency, first in Construction Speed, first in Construction Economy, and First Place Overall.

Read more about the 23rd annual ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition and more about the Student Steel Bridge Competition Student Steel Bridge Competition.

###