Student Steel Bridge Club

Who We Are

The Student Steel Bridge Club (SSBC) incorporates structural engineering knowledge learned in the classroom to a real-world hands-on student project. The club centers on designing and fabricating a 1:10 scale steel bridge for competing in the annual AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition.

Students who join SSBC will have the opportunity to participate in software workshops, steel workshops, and networking events. We strive to create a community where each member feels welcomed and ready to take their engineering careers to the next level.

Design and Fabrication Meetings

Learn STAAD

This academic year a majority of our focus will be on learning the engineering design software STAAD. Knowing STAAD looks great on your resume! During the Fall semester, the team designs the bridge sections and geometry and tests the different alternatives. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all design meetings will be taking place on Zoom.

Learn Fabrication Skills

During fabrication, the team cuts, welds, mills, and grinds steel together into the designed pieces. The fabrication process more so takes place in the second semester. Due to the pandemic, extra precautions will be put in place to protect the health of our members.

Join Our Team!

Look out for emails and flyers about meeting dates/times and please sign up for our mailer to get meeting reminders and team updates! For membership information, please email us.

Attend design software workshops.

Learn to use machine shop tools.

Compete in AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition.

Snapshots of the Student Steel Bridge Club

About the Competition

AISC's Student Steel Bridge Competition challenges student teams to develop a scale-model steel bridge. It is up to the team to determine how to fabricate their bridge and then plan for an efficient assembly under timed construction at the competition. Bridges are then load tested and weighed. The bridge must span approximately 20 feet, carry 2,500 pounds, and must meet all other specifications mentioned in the competition rules.