Each year, Berkeley's student Steel Bridge competition team comes up with a brand new bridge design based on the ASCE-AISC Student Steel Bridge competition rules for that year.
And now come Mid-Pac at Sacramento State on April 21, this new design, Bearodynamic, will be put to the test.
Over the next couple of weeks the team will complete fabrication. And then practice assembling the bridge.
Because Mid-Pac is coming up fast.
Fall
The 2018 competition rules came out in late August 2017.
Immediately Berkeley's bridge designers got together with new team members and junior designers to pour over a variety of bridge designs. They went through countless iterations until they arrived at The One that satisfied the rules and would earn Berkeley the best score.
The designers wanted to eliminate unnecessary steel and trussing while keeping Bearodynamic as stiff as possible. They also had to keep in mind ease of fabrication and construction.
All design decisions were made with the National Competition in mind. If Berkeley does well enough in the spring regionals (Mid-Pac), the team qualifies for Nationals in May.
Nationals are much more competitive than regionals, requiring Berkeley always stay one step ahead.
Design Lead Marty McDonough shows his design to team leaders.
Spring
In the spring semester, it's all about fabrication. Fabrication brings the design from fall semester into the real world.
The Davis Hall welding shop is where the team makes the bulk of the bridge. Students cut, grind, and weld steel tubing together.
The Etcheverry Hall machine shop is where students make the solid steel connection pieces between the members of the bridge.
Student team members do all of the fabrication work themselves.
Mid-Pac
After the bridge has been fabricated, the build team starts to practice constructing the bridge in as little time as possible.
The build team practices over and over.
As you walk through Davis Hall, you see the build team assembling the bridge.
At all hours.
Come Mid-Pac, Berkeley will be scored on the weight of the bridge, the number and speed of the builders, and stiffness.
2017 team with their awards at Mid-Pac
Go Bearodynamic!
Go Bears!