How far can you toss a concrete Frisbee?
How lightweight and economical can you build a bridge out of steel and still have it hold more than 2,500 pounds?
What does it take to clean river water so that it is suitable for drinking?
And how, exactly, do you make a canoe float, when it's made out of concrete?
Find out by attending this year's Ohio Valley Regional Conference of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Ohio State University's student chapter is hosting this year's event on campus and at other Columbus locations March 29-31.
Approximately 300 students will attend from up to 15 regional schools in Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. These schools will spend the three-day conference competing in several events with the hope of advancing to the ASCE National Competitions. This year's competitions include Steel Bridge, Concrete Canoe, Concrete Frisbee, Environmental Water Treatment, Technical Paper, AutoCAD and Surveying.
"These experiences will help students in their careers, as they learn how to design something from beginning to end. Not only are students putting into reality their particular engineering design, they are also learning leadership, teamwork, writing and presentation skills," said Carolyn Merry, chair of Ohio State's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science. "The new challenges for civil engineering are preparing our students to operate in a global engineering context. Being innovators and integrators of new ideas that have challenged them in these team projects will prepare them for the future."
Students must meet strict requirements for each competition. Here are some examples:
- In the Concrete Frisbee Competition, the Frisbee must be between 8 and 12 inches in diameter and no more than 2.5 inches at its thickest point. Frisbees will be judged on aesthetic qualities and on the accuracy and distance of throws by the students.
- For the water treatment system contest, students must design a system to improve typical river water to drinking water quality using only commonly available household items or construction materials purchased from retail stores. The system must be constructed within 30 minutes and take no more than 45 minutes to treat the water. Points will be given for the system design and construction, including aesthetics, cost and ease of use; the treated water quality; and a technical paper related to the project.
- While making safety the priority, the students in the steel bridge competition must construct a 1:10 scale model of a bridge that, at full scale, could span a river and adjacent floodway and carry traffic serving the residences, farms and agricultural processing industries that are the economic base of the bridge's rural location. The team members must build the bridge to meet set parameters for stiffness, lightness, construction speed, display, efficiency and economy.
- The Concrete Canoe Competition will involve both building and racing the canoes, so students will be judged on topics such as design, use of technology and materials and competitive spirit. The canoes must float even when filled completely with water, and all floatation material in the canoe must be encased in concrete.
EVENTS AND TIMES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:
Concrete Canoe Racing
Friday, March 30, 12 � 4 p.m., at Anderson Concrete, 200 Haul Road, Columbus OH 43207. (From downtown, take 315 S, to 104/Frank Road going east, exit on Haul Road and turn left. Park at the end of the road in the front employee parking lot and walk along the lake to competition areas. Car pooling is encouraged as there is very limited parking.)
Steel Bridge Construction
Saturday, March 31, 10 a.m. � 4 p.m., The Ohio State University, French Field House, 460 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, Ohio. Parking is free in the lot Ohio Stadium lot adjacent to Knowlton Hall, 274 West Woodruff Ave., and in the lots adjacent to French Field House, 460 Woody Hayes Drive. Parking for a fee is available south of Knowlton Hall in the visitor parking garage at 2050 Tuttle Park Place.
Environmental Competition
Saturday, March 31, 8:30 a.m. � 12 p.m., The Ohio State University, Knowlton Hall, 274 West Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio. Parking is free in the lot Ohio Stadium lot adjacent to Knowlton Hall, 274 West Woodruff Ave., and in the lots adjacent to French Field House, 460 Woody Hayes Drive. Parking for a fee is available south of Knowlton Hall in the visitor parking garage at 2050 Tuttle Park Place.
For more information, visit www.ceegs.ohio-state.edu/asce/ovrc.html.
Professor Carolyn Merry, department chair, 614-292-2771March 27, 2007
