ASCE/AISCSteelBridge

Competition
Friday, October 16th, 2015
By Neal Salas

2015UNCCharlotteSteelBridgeCaptain
Neal Salas
TheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatCharlotte
MasterofScienceinCivilEngineering(Fall2015)
StructuralEngineeringConcentration
BachelorofScienceinCivilEngineering(Fall2012)

CurrentlyworkingasaStructuralEngineerEITat
ZapataEngineeringIncorporatedinCharlotte,NC

Overview
ASCECarolinasConferenceandtheNSSBC
SteelBridgeCompetition
UNCCharlotte SteelBridgeTeam
SteelBridgeTeamTasks/Responsibilities
RulesOverview
3DModel
OurDesign
MATLABOptimization
ConstructionTechnique
AtCarolinasConference
AtNationals
Sponsorship
Questions

1. ASCECarolinasConferenceandNSSBC
TheAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers(ASCE)holdsa3dayregionalconference
thatencouragescivilengineeringstudents(fromallconcentrations)tonetwork,
learn,andsupplementtheireducationbyputtingintopracticetheirtechnicalskills.
DuetotheheavyparticipationofN.CandS.C.
UniversitiesamongsttheSoutheast
Universities,thisconferencebecameknownas
theCarolinasConference.

SteelBridgeCompetition
The Steel Bridge Competition is one of the main two competitions held at the
Carolinas Conference every year. It challenges students to design, fabricate, and
erect a scaled steel bridge under strict requirements. It provides students with
design and construction planning experience, as well as teamwork skills. Steel
bridges are judged according to stiffness, lightness, construction speed, display,
efficiency, and economy.

3.CompetitionCategories

Display
ConstructionSpeed
Lightness
Stiffness
ConstructionEconomy
StructuralEfficiency

OVERALPERFORMANCE

UNC Charlotte - Steel Bridge Team

Regional Competition
Captain
NealSalasZamudio
Subcaptain
HoustonSims
Crew
AidanAlar
IslamElsayed
TravisCarter
Tyra Moore
PieterGrobbelaar
MichaelConnor
JonathanMoss
HoustonSkipper
SteelBridgeFacultyAdvisor
Dr.MatthewWhelan
ASCEFacultyAdvisor
Dr.JanosGergely

National Competition
CoCaptains
NealSalasZamudio
AidanAlar
Subcaptain
HoustonSims
Crew
IslamElsayed
TravisCarter
Tyra Moore
PieterGrobbelaar
MichaelConnor
JonathanMoss
HoustonSkipper
RobertChang
TaylorMayes
FranciscoMora
LuisVega
JessicaVences
SteelBridgeFacultyAdvisor
Dr.MatthewWhelan
ASCEFacultyAdvisor
Dr.JanosGergely

YOU DONT HAVE TO BE GREAT TO START,

BUT YOU HAVE TO START TO BE GREAT
Zig Ziglar

SteelBridgeTeamTasks/Responsibilities

Getfamiliarwiththerules

Preliminaryestimatecosts

Fundraising

Preliminarysteelbridgedesigns

3DSketchup modeling

MATLABoptimization

Structuralanalysis(FEAmodelwithbeamandtrusselements)

Steelfailurechecks

OrderSteel,Bolts&Nuts,Tools,BrokenPartsofEquipment

Fabrication(Cutting,Grinding,Drilling,MIGWelding)

Assemblyofbridge

VerticalandLateralTesting

Practiceconstruction

Discussedimprovements,changes,and/orconcernsforNationals

7.Inventory?LostToolsandEquipment?
Inventory

None

Toolsandequipmentavailable

BrokenMIGwelder

Wobblingdrillpress

Vicewithnohandle

8.CookoutFlyer

9.RulesOverview

Bridgesthatwereconsidered

9.RulesOverview(contn)
VerticalLoadTest

LateralLoadTest

9.RulesOverview(contn)
ConstructionRegulations

MemberSpecifications
Overalldimensionsof3x6x4

3DModel

11.OurDesign
2DModel

2DSAP2000StructuralAnalysis
AxialForces

AxialForces
(withvalues)

Deflection
(withvalues)

11.OurDesign(contn)

Threedimensional
SAP2000Model

12.MATLABOptimization
3Doptimizationplot
OPTIMIZATION
DevelopedaMATLABcodeutilizingstiffnessmethodto
analyzeagenericstructurethatcanbemodeledby
trussandbeamelements.Internalforces(truss),
shearandmoments(beam),anddisplacementsofthe
deflectedshapewereobtainedbyprovidingpropertiesof
thestructure.
StructuralAnalysisof6=7,776cases
5groups(CrossSections)
StructuralEfficiency
Lightness(weight)
Stiffness(aggregatedeflection)
Selectionofbestcombinationofcrosssectionsthat
yieldedtheloweststructuralcost(higheststructural
efficiency)

2Doptimizationplot

13.SteelBridgeTeamandourBridge

Poster

14.ConstructionTechnique
AtCarolinasConference

1.

AtNationals

1.

3.

2.

4.

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15.AtCarolinasConference
UNCCharlotteSteelBridge

Steelbridgeteamplaced2nd intheoverallsteelbridgecompetitionandqualifiedto
competeinthe2015NationalStudentSteelBridgeCompetition

16.AtNationals
UNCCharlotteSteelBridgeTeam

UNCCharlotteSteelBridge

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UNCCharlotteNSSBCPoster

ThankyouagainSponsors

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Questions?
Contact info:

NealSalas
nsalasza@uncc.edu
(704)526-6323

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