SUNY Canton Steel Bridge Team Preps for National Competition

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Ethan J. Fregoe of Massena and Nathan A. Archer of Canton (background) work with Andrew C. Walker of Camden (foreground) to rapidly assemble SUNY Canton’s steel bridge.

CANTON, NY (05/05/2014)(readMedia)-- Students from SUNY Canton's engineering technology programs are slated to compete against teams from about 50 other colleges and universities at the National Student Steel Bridge Competition.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and American Institute of Steel Construction competition will begin on May 23 at the University of Akron in Ohio.

The SUNY Canton ASCE student chapter, commonly referred to as the steel bridge team, recently finished third in the Upstate Regional Competition. Their high-scoring entry earned them an invite to the next level of competition.

"The team picked up a couple of avoidable penalties at regionals," said steel bridge team adviser Paul D. Hitchman, an instructional support associate in SUNY Canton's Canino School of Engineering Technology. "With a little work they can continue to be competitive at the national level."

The students were upset by their longtime rival École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS) from Montreal, Quebec, and by SUNY Buffalo. The team has swept the competition 15 times in 18 years.

The team designed the scale-model bridge to be extremely light, while maintaining its structural integrity during weight testing. ASCE Student Chapter President Alyssa M. Baker of Boonville pointed out that the team did win first place in the lightness category.

"I'm very confident in our bridge and in our team," Baker said. "We are going to make a few changes so we can place higher at the national competition."

Baker is one of several Civil and Environmental Engineering Technology majors in the eight-student team.

The students placed fourth in construction speed, eighth in aesthetics, second in stiffness, seventh in economy and second in efficiency at the regional competition.

The bridge team is now seeking donations to offset travel costs for their trip to Akron, Ohio, which are estimated to be more than $7,000. To support the team, please contact the SUNY Canton College Foundation at 315-386-7127 or email foundation@canton.edu.

For more information about the steel bridge team, please read the April 21 article "SUNY Canton Students Aim to Build a Bridge Better, Faster and Stronger."

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier College for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The College delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management, and public service to students in the North Country, New York State, and beyond. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The College's 14 athletic teams compete in state-of-the-art facilities as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

-www.canton.edu-