2016 Competitions
The 2016 Mid-Pacific Regional Conference will consist of seven competitions and several mini-games competitions.
Printer Friendly Competition Descriptions:
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Main Events:
Concrete Canoe: |
The concrete canoe competition challenges young engineers' design skills by utilizing the principles of reinforced concrete design to create a structure not typically made from concrete. It emphasizes the flexible nature of the medium as well as highlights the creative abilities and teamwork that each engineer is capable of. Canoe teams must not only design the canoe, but must ensure that the canoe is durable enough to withstand a rigorous day of races. They must work as a team not only in the design phase, but also on the day of competition because the team must man the canoe they created out on the water.
In the canoe event, engineering teams are scored equally on design report, final product, technical presentation, and racing. The team members from all of the schools have been working for many months, using design specifications laid out in a rule set that is governed by the ASCE. A complete set of design specifications and drawings, including concrete mixtures, dimensions, structural elements and floatation materials, are used by each of the 12 teams in the Mid‐Pacific region in building their canoes. Contestants must place first or second at the regional level to move on to the national competition. The same canoe must be used in both the national and regional competition.
In the canoe event, engineering teams are scored equally on design report, final product, technical presentation, and racing. The team members from all of the schools have been working for many months, using design specifications laid out in a rule set that is governed by the ASCE. A complete set of design specifications and drawings, including concrete mixtures, dimensions, structural elements and floatation materials, are used by each of the 12 teams in the Mid‐Pacific region in building their canoes. Contestants must place first or second at the regional level to move on to the national competition. The same canoe must be used in both the national and regional competition.
Steel Bridge: |
The mission of the ASCE/AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition (SSBC) is to supplement the education of civil engineering students with a comprehensive, student-driven project experience from conception and design through fabrication, erection, and testing, culminating in a steel structure that meets client specifications and optimizes performance and economy. The SSBC increases awareness of real-world engineering issues such as spatial constraints, material properties, strength, serviceability, fabrication and erection processes, safety, esthetics, and cost. Success in inter-collegiate competition requires effective teamwork and project management. Future engineers are stimulated to innovate, practice professionalism, and use structural steel efficiently.
FAQ:
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Mead Paper (Professional Paper): |
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The Professional Paper Competition is not just a requirement for ASCE Student Chapters but also offers an opportunity for students to create a thesis on a relevant, ethics-based question. The professional paper must demonstrate the participant’s knowledge on a specific topic, their proposed solution, and their skill in writing on that topic, and their skills in presenting that topic in front of a panel of judges.
Water Treatment: |
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The ASCE Water Treatment Competition is an undergraduate project that gives students with civil and environmental engineering and related majors a chance to gain hands-on experience with the research, design, and lab testing involved with water treatment principles as well as an opportunity to develop professional skills such as technical writing and presenting.
Teams from California, Nevada, Hawaii, Canada and China participate to design a filter made of materials bought in a hardware store that treats a standardized wastewater based on the real-world scenario presented in the competition rules.
The project is judged based on (1) filter construction, (2) water quality results, (3) a design report, (4) a poster, and (5) an oral presentation. Students are encouraged to work closely with university faculty and local engineering professionals to create a practical and innovate method of addressing the problem statement.
Approved Material Requests:
The following items are available for use by all teams in their treatment system designs:
- Cat litter (any kind)
- Lab absorbent mat
- Sterilite 3-drawer cart http://www.walmart.com/ip/HPI-3-Drawer-Large-Cart-Black/17331752
- Washstand http://www.amazon.com/Chriss-Elsa-compartment-finishing-washstand/dp/B019JNXXKW/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1454728888&sr=8-11&keywords=washstand
- 11'' x 13'' x 13'' Dairy Tote (http://www.homedepot.com/p/GSC-Technologies-11-in-x-13-in-x-13-in-Black-Milk-Crate-MC131311-002/204793156) Price: $9/unit
- Instant Cold Packs (http://www.cvs.com/shop/health-medicine/pain-fever/hot-cold-therapy/cvs-instant-cold-pain-relief-pack-value-size-skuid-276878#productTabs-5) Price: $5.79/2 packs
FAQ:
1.) What do you want us to do if we cannot find the specified amount in the materials list?For example, say we want to use Brawney paper towels which is $3.00 per roll, but we can only find it in a three pack. Would we take it apart even though the rules say that all items must be in their original packaging or would we be forced to pay $9.00 for the three pack?
For the competition, you are only required to include the cost of the item as given in the materials list. If you purchase a three-pack of paper towels, but only use one roll in your design, you just have to list $3.00 in your cost, even though you really spent $9.00.
2.)Are we only allowed to prewash loose sand, GAC, pebbles, and lava rocks or can we also prewash things like charcoal?
You may pre-wash other materials, but they must be completely dry and returned to their original packaging, except for those mentioned on page 8 of the Rules.
3.)In regards to cost I know that there has been some confusion in the past competitions. If we use Clorox wipes at $1.50 per 15 wipes and use two wipes in the construction, would our cost be $0.30 or $1.50?
The cost would be $1.50 if you use 15 wipes or less, and would be $3.00 if you used more than 15 wipes. I agree that is confusing, but the same rule applies here as in your first question; If you use one roll of paper towels, but only a few sheets on the roll, the cost is still $3.00 since you used part of one roll, since "roll" is the unit provided in the list.
4.) For the presentations, are people allowed to record any portion of the presentations?
This year, we are going to allow teams to record their own presentations only. Teams may not record any part of the presentations of other teams, including the Q&A sections. This rule only applies to the Water Treatment Competition, and the other Mid-Pac competitions may have different rules.
5.) Are we allowed to touch the 3M compressed air dust remover during the loading/treatment phase, i.e., release the air?
Yes. Since the air is an additive, I will count it as a chemical that you can add to the wastewater during the 10-minute loading phase.
6.)With respect to the units of measurement for the materials in the materials list, does the shape matter? For example, if we were to use 3 sq. ft. of widow screen mesh, does the mesh need to be a square when we bring it to the competition or does the shape not matter as long as the total area is correct?
The shape does not matter as long as the total area is correct, and as long as the material is purchased in that shape. For example, if the screen mesh comes rolled in a rectangular sheet, you may not pre-cut the mesh in a circular shape before the Construction Phase.
7.)“The collection basin must be removed from the treatment system immediately following the treatment phase.” Does this mean the collection “tote” must be stand-alone, i.e. removable without any contact with the rest of the filter itself? Will there be sizable deductions if the collection tote is not freely removable to reward the teams who did account for this in their design? (2 years ago this was the requirement and there were no deductions made which ultimately cost our team materials and time)
The collection basin must be removed immediately in order to discontinue additional water collection. This does not mean that your tote must be stand alone, so you can remove it however it needs to be removed, as long as you do not tamper with the water in any way, and it is removed as quickly as possible. If the judge decides that the removal was not conducted accordingly or a significant amount of water was collected after the filter time is up, then one point may be deducted, according to the first bullet under the Deductions on page 9 of the Rules. This being the case, a stand-alone tote may be your best option. I also recommend that an additional tote is brought to collect any additional water once your collection tote is removed.
8.) Will the amount of water added per bucket be 4.5 gal/5 gal bucket?
Yes.
9.) Will the buckets be closed (capped) for the 24 hours prior to the competition?
Yes.
10.) For the scoring, is the ranking “best team’s measured value or rank”/”your measured value or rank”?; currently it is the inverse of this (which would result in a lower score for the team with a closer to target measured value).
The word "rank" is meant to be a general term for how well you did with respect to the other teams. For the math to work in this case, the lowest rank is 1, and the highest rank is the total number of teams that participate. For example, if 13 schools participate, and your school ranks 3rd best on turbidity, your rank will be 11, and your score will be 11/13*5 = 4.23 points out of 5 total points.
11.) What are the expected initial wastewater water quality parameters of the influent? (prior to any treatment) In the past we've never received these data but I was wondering if this could be distributed among the teams so that we could account for any variability in the wastewater itself.
The wastewater results will not be distributed to the schools, and teams will be required to test the wastewater quality with their own equipment. However, you can expect that the water will be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit with very close to 0% DO, after the 24-hour rest period from the initial mixing of ingredients. Also, I asked the team at UNR what they have been getting for pH from their tap water, and they told me between 6 and 7.
12.) Can we interact with the wastewater (add in chemicals, add a cloth to the surface, etc.) prior to loading the water into our filter? Or does all chemical treatment have to be added to the collection basin (effluent)?
You may add chemicals directly to the wastewater, but only during the 10-minute loading phase, as stated in the Rules on page 8. Additionally, the Rules provide a "List of Available Materials for Filter Design" in Appendix A. This means all materials must only be used to construct the filter, the exception being chemicals (the 3M compressed air dust remover counts as a chemical since it's an additive that can only be applied to the water directly). Therefore, a cloth or other material over the surface of the wastewater bucket is not permitted.
13.) On the materials list for Steel Wool, what does the 3M mean? Is that referring to the grade of steel wool?
3M is the company/brand, like 3M tape. You can use any grade of steel wool you'd like.
14.) During the 10 minutes of loading period when we add the chemicals into the water,is it allowed to stir the waste water?
Yes, two operators are allowed to add chemicals and stir the chemicals in the water during the 10-minute loading phase. A stirring stick will be provided.
15.) We wanted to clarify how stringent the tote volumes were for materials. For instance, if we wanted to use a tote that was 18 gallons (but the next largest size that's on the list is 18.5 gallons), could we pay the cost for an 18.5 gallon tote but buy and use the 18 gallon one? Or would we have to add it as a separate item to the materials list?
The tote volumes provided in the materials list are standard sizes, so any totes used in your filters must match the dimensions provided in the Rules. This ensures that all teams have equal accessibility to the items, and keeps the competition uniform for everyone. Please let me know if you have trouble finding totes of the sizes given in the Materials List, and I'll see what I can do to help you out.
GeoWall: |
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The objective of the GeoWall competition is to design and build a model mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining wall using paper reinforcement taped to a posterboard wall facing. This competition has the following objectives: to use the least amount of reinforcement needed to support the retained soil, effectively communicate the design, including calculations and drawings, provide for friendly but spirited competition between MidPac schools, and provide a geotechnical learning opportunity for students.
FAQ:
1.) My question is regards to Section 3: Eligibility which states "A team consists of a maximum of four (4) students consisting of not more than two (2) graduate students"
Does a "Maximum of four (4) students" mean only four students per stage (Fabrication stage, Wall assembly stage, Construction stage etc.) or does it mean that the same four students must be in every stage?
Thank you for your question. The maximum 4 students means that the 4 same students have to work on every stage of the competition. There will only be 4 registered participants per school in the Geowall competition. We do however encourage more students to help out doing the research and design, but during any judged portion at the competition like the poster presentation/questioning and construction the same 4 registered participants will be the only ones allowed to contribute.
Just like all of the other competitions at the conference, there are a maximum number of registered participants that can compete per team this year. This is made to be the same as the ASCE GI/SEI Wall Challenge that the competition is based off of. Other members of the team can still contribute to writing the paper, making the poster, testing, designing, and all other aspects of the competition, but during the actual competition you may only have four participants. We encourage all members of the team to travel to the competition to cheer on your team even though they won't be directly involved in the construction portion.
2.) According to the cover page, the design poster and design report due is March 13th, 2016. However, in the sections of Design Report Submittal and Design Poster, the submission deadline is March 23rd, 2016. We wonder which date we should follow.
The submittal deadline should be March 23rd, 2016. Any other date is a typo.
3.) We wonder if the “description of construction procedures”, which is mentioned in Part (d) of the Design Report Submittal Section, means the description of how we complete the Construction Stage in the Execution Section. For example, how we compact the backfill sand during the construction. If not, could you please give us a more detailed explanation about this requirement?
Yes, the "description of construction procedures" is the portion of the report you may use to describe the process of how you plan to construct the wall, reinforcement, and backfill and the research that made you come to the conclusion that this would be the best method.
4.) We noticed that there were few restrictions on the piles in the rules. We wonder if the requirements of piles are totally the same as required in the 2013 Mid-Pacific GeoWall competition.
I was not a part of the 2013 Mid-Pacific GeoWall Competition and am not sure of what was used then, but looking at the 2013 rules, the pile rules look to be stating the same idea that we are going for in the 2016 Mid-Pacific rules. 1-1/2" schedule 40 PVC pipe should be used.
5.) The section of Hardwood Load Frames requires that the load frame should be made of one of more species of hardwood. And we could not quite understand this sentence. Dose it mean that we could only use one kind of hardwood to make our load frame, or dose it mean that we could use several kinds of hardwood as long as they are in the list of woods summarized by Wikipedia?
You may use any number of species of hardwood in your load frame as long as they are all on the "list of woods".
6.) The rules note that the part of the load frame which is to be inserted into the PVC piles should have a uniform EXTERNAL cross section. We wonder if this part is allowed to have a non uniform internal cross section.
The external cross section of the wood frame that is inserted into the PVC piles needs to be uniform. The internal cross section of the wood frame does not need to be uniform and can be hollowed out or modified as each team sees fit.
Sloppiness does mean looseness.
7.) We wonder if we could add some bracings while designing our load frame. For instance, we may use some bracings to reinforce the corner.
The rules do not specify on the design layout of the wood frame. As long as all of the pieces follow the rules and the 1/2" diameter hardwood rod for loading the bucket is in the proper location you may use any engineering methods to support it. The wood frame does need to be support solely inside the PVC piles. No bracing can come down from the wood frame to brace against the ground.
8.) While the rules only mention that the smaller pieces of the components are allowed to be glued together, we wonder if we could use some metallic materials to join those smaller pieces.
Only glue may be used to join pieces prior to the competition. No metallic materials shall be used in the wood frame.
9.) We noticed that a vertical deflection gauge will be used in the loading stage. We wonder where would the deflection gauge be fixed and which part of the load frame would be measured for deflection.
The deflection gauge will be clamped to the top of the box. The load frame will be measured at the dowel rod.
10.) Since it is not stated clearly in the rules, we would like to make sure that if the steel tie rod is allowed to be removed from the box during the construction stage or not.
Any team may remove the steel tie rod any time they deem necessary, but it does not need to be removed.
11.) We could not quite understand the requirement in the Load Frame Assembly Stage, which says that “The team should have the components of their load frame laid out along with the two S-hooks and the empty surcharge bucket.” Could you please further explain it for us?
This part of the stage is just asking for the teams to have all of the load frame pieces put out so the judges can see and weigh them and make sure they follow all of the rules.
12.) We noticed that the box aesthetic score is missed from the score computing formula. And we would like to make sure that if this part no longer contributes to the final score any more this year.
Painting and addition of school or sponsor logos and other decorations to the exterior of the sandbox is highly encouraged. There is no aesthetics score.
13.) According to the rules, base guides ≤1/4-inch thick are allowed to be attached to the base of the sand box. We wonder if we could use rubber to make the base guides.
Yes, the base guides can be made of rubber.
14.) According to the rules, the piles should be 1-1/2 inch Sch 40 PVC. But in China this type of PVC is not available, we have to buy it on Amazon’s American website, which will create a high freight. So we wonder if you could tell us the external and internal diameters of the PVC piles, so that we may find a substitute in China. If we are not able to get the PVC piles of the right size, is it tolerable for our PVC piles to meet the internal size requirement only?
The outside diameter shall be as close to 1.9 inches or 48.26 mm, and the inside diameter shall be as close to 1.61 inches or 40.894 mm. You may use another product if it is approved by us first. Please provide us with the name of the type of pipe you will like to use along with it's dimensions and we will approve or deny the product individually.
15.) We are having problem understanding this statement about the hardwood loading frame. Could you please explain it for us in a more detailed way? (Figure 3)
The centerline of the 1/2" diameter dowel that holds the hooks at the top of the load frame shall be 36 inches above the floor, plus or minus 1/8 of an inch. The floor is considered the underside of the sandbox or the actual floor the box will be sitting on. If you need further clarification please let us know.
16.) While the connection details, structural analysis etc. of the load frame are required in the design report, are they also required to be included in the design poster?
The poster is more to interest other schools to participate and learn about the GeoWall competition. It does not have to cover everything.
17.) We are having problem understanding this statement in Appendix C1.Could you please explain it for us?
"Wooden pins used for securing components excepted from this"
This is just saying you may use wooden pins to secure components, but components can not be disassembled with shear, tension, or compression of joints alone or non-wooden fasteners.
18.) After conducting an experiment, we found that when the surcharge bucket is hanging on the load frame, the panels of the sandbox would be hard to remove. Will the bucket to be used in the competition smaller than the picture showed or do we need to redesign the sandbox so that when we remove the front panel, it won't touch the bucket?
The bucket will be a 5 gallon bucket or about 19 liters. The bucket should be placed on the load frame after the wall is already removed. There should be no problem.
19.) As for the PVC piles I mentioned before, in China only the outside diameter is stipulated by the national standard. The outside diameter closest to the GEOWALL rules is 50mm,the thickness is about 2.2mm.We wonder if this size can be used for the competition. If not, we would by it through the Internet.
I am also sorry to say that the PVC 50 pipe you are showing will not be allowed. The inside diameter is more than 10% wider than what is specified and therefore may not be used. You will either have to find another PVC pipe that is more similar to the 1.5" PVC Sch 40 pipe or ship the pipe from over seas.
20.) Could threads be used in this way to connect two components as the picture below shows? We wonder if it's allowed by the requirement h, Section 9. (Photo of load frame with string cables holding up load arm)
We like your thinking, but the rules did not translate well. "Threaded" is meant to mean more "screwed together" not the material of fabric thread. All of the materials are wood, but can be threaded (or screwed) together. The grooves in the wood are the threads the rules describe. All of the materials in the load frame must be hard wood.
21 a.) Is the 1/2" diameter dowel one of the components of the load frame? If so, we would also have to make it not be able to slip apart from other components through tension, compression, or shear.
Yes, but probably not in the way you are thinking. The meaning behind this rule is to ensure the frame does not come apart when trying to load it. As long as the dowel does not easily remove from the frame it will be okay.
21 b.)In addition, We would like to make sure if we have correctly understood your answer to question 2 in the last email. Dose it mean that the rule is satisfied as long as no components slip apart when the whole load frame is under shear, compression or tension? We thought the shear, compression and tension are to be applied on every two components to check if they will slip apart from each other during the Pre-Competition Team Captains’Meeting.
It will be up to the judges discretion if they would like to test all of the components. Be prepared for either scenario.
The main reason for the rule is to ensure the components don't fall apart during loading for safety reasons and another reason is if someone accidentally hits the components we don't want it to fall apart.
22.) To reduce the mass of the load frame, we would like to hollow some components which are to be placed into the PVC piles. We wonder if these components meet the requirements of having a uniform external cross section. (Photo of a piece with holes in it)
Yes, having a varying internal cross section is permitted as long as the external cross section is uniform, but what you show has a varying external cross section. The full wood portions varies from the cut out portions. You will need to hollow out the inside without touching the outside.
23.) Could we make the components collapsible if they can fit into the 2x2x12inch prism after they are folded?
Yes, the collapsible components will be allowed. Just be sure the component is secured in place in some way. The component shouldn't be able to move up, down, side to side, or rotate when being loaded.
24.) Could we attach both the rubber circle ring and rubber disk to the base of the sand box at the same time as base guides? The PVC piles will be placed between the ring and the disk.
As described in Section 13, C, the base guides will be removed including the PVC stabilizer. Nothing should be attached to the box. The box is more to show you your limits of construction.
25.) In the rule, the base guide of the PVC piles is not described in details. We wonder if a 1/4" high circular wooden guide can be glued or screwed on the bottom of the sandbox to locate the piles, which means it will be a permanent part of the sandbox, just like the 2016 national GI/SGI-Wall competition. We found that the guide could hardly help for the surcharge and it just worked for the location of the PVC pile.
Per the two National rules questions below:
"There isn't much information specified on the 1/4" thick pvc pile bottom template, but the rules say all templates must be removed at the end of the construction phase. Is this bottom template excluded from that requirement? And if so can we make this template a permanent part of our box that cannot be removed? Thanks.
Scott, thank you for this question. Yes, the 1/4-inch thick templates should be a permanent part of the box. Our school's templates were made from 1/4-inch thick tempered masonite and glued and screwed to the bottom. The discs were slightly tapered at the edges to allow easy installation but have a tight fit when pushed down."
"I was wondering if there was any specifications that needed to be met for the pile stabilizer? There isn't much information about it and I just wanted to make sure that we were following the rules correctly. Thank you.
Daniel, thank you for the question. There isn't a lot of rules control on the pile stabilizer. It should hold the PVC piles into place during the wall construction. That is usually pretty easy to do. But then the stabilizer needs to be removed. Some teams use 1-1/4-inch hole drilled into a piece of wood as their stabilizer and then I observe them really struggling to remove it. Sand gets into the gap and really wedges it into place. Try something that comes apart better, such as a muffler clamp or similar. "
The 1/4" thick PVC pile bottom template should be a permanent part of the box, but the pile stabilizer must be removed.
26.) After the construction stage, can we use the hammer to hit the sandbox in order to make the backfill sand dense again?
Yes, you may hit the sides of the sandbox to compact the sand, but only during the construction phase. After your team says they are done constructing and the loading phase has begun then you may not continue working on your compaction.
27.) The rule writes that the backfill sand is dry, does it mean that the sand just keeps naturally dry or it will be artificially dried before the competition?
The sand will be naturally dry.
28.) As for the material of load frame, can we use our own plywood made by self-laminating various hardwoods?
Yes, you may laminate your own hardwood together.
29.) Are Xacto knives permitted?
Xacto knives are not permitted. What most teams use at Nationals are the rotary knives that have the protector piece over them. The rule is in place because at the last three Nationals there have been some severe cuts from blades so we are trying to reduce the amount of injuries we get.
30.) According to the rule, each connection of the frame should not be able to slip apart through tension, compression, or shear. We wonder what test will be performed to check the hardwood frame?
This rule is there to ensure that the load frame will not fall apart if it accidentally hit or moved. The rule is more of a safety rule so we know the bucket will not fall and hurt someone.
31.) What’s the weight of the single bucket used in the competition?
The bucket will be a Home Depot 5-gallon bucket. I'm not sure what that will convert to in China, but the weight of the bucket is approximately 1.8 pounds.
32.) Is there any limitation on the time of load frame assembly stage?
There is no designated cut off time for the load frame assembly, but the judges will have the ability to stop any team if they believe the team will not finish in a timely manor. The overall time for construction does factor into the structural score too.
33.) We wonder what engineering reasoning means (appendix B).
There are a lot of formulas that you can use to find the solution you will be using. We want to know the thoughts behind what made you use those formulas and why those formulas are sufficient to proving your design will hold up.
34.) What does verifying design parameters beyond assumptions and references mean (appendix B)?
Actual testing and proving that your design will work. Just because there was a study saying "this should work" doesn't mean it will work for you. We want you to prove that it works. There are a lot of variables that can change a test so we don't want you to just assume something is correct because someone else said it was correct. Prove that it is correct.
35.) We also could not understand the word misfit here (appendix B).
This is just accounting for the connections in your load frame. If your pieces are loose or if they fit perfectly.
36.) Could you provide the dimensions for where the pvc piles are located in the sandbox?
Attached is the Sketchup Pro file with all of the specific requirements on the pile locations. Students should be able to get a free version of Sketchup Pro if you do not have the software already. http://www1.pacific.edu/~smerry/
37.) Since we are now allowed to use any cutting tool to cut our reinforcing strips, are we allowed to use any cutting tool to cut out the wall during competition? Such as a box cutter?
If you are to cut anything in front of the judges you will still need a closed blade. We just can't check what you cut with on your own time. It's a liability issue when you're cutting things on our time. In the past at Nationals people have cut themselves really badly while in a rush at competition and that is the reason for this rule. Safety First!
38.) In Section 13.e.ii, it is described that after the load frame is loaded, the 55 lb surcharge is taken off and a 5 lb surcharge is put back onto the frame. Then in Section 13.e.iii, the three panels are removed and a 25 lb surcharge is added to the frame. Is the 5 lb surcharge applied in a bucket that will be hanging on the frame? If so, are we supposed to be able to remove the three panels with the bucket hanging right there?
Loading the bucket is just to take out the slack in the frame. We will take off the bucket, then take out the walls, and then load the frame again if necessary.
39.) In Mailer I, Section 3. Eligibility says the team consists of a maximum of 4 students. Do the 2 students who present to the judges have to be part of the same 4 students who are on the construction team and the same 4 students who wrote the Design Paper?
The design paper may be written by anyone on the team including or excluding the four at the competition. Anyone that competes in front of the judges whether it be poster presentations and/or construction will need to be the same four competitors.
40.) Is the GeoWall Design Paper due today at 6:00pm, or is it due April 4 (as read in Mailer III)?
The Geowall Design Papers are due today. The April 4th date is a typo.
41.) Can more than one species of hardwood be used to make the load frame?
You may use as many species of hard wood as you like.
42.) How do you check whether the wood is hardwood or not?
Please know what type of wood each piece is. The judges may ask you what wood each piece is to cross reference with photos. Receipts may be helpful too. For the most part it will be on the honor system for using hardwood materials.
43.) In regards to my previous question about which people can be on the construction team and which people can present to the judges: we have more than 4 people on our team and if the team captain is required to present to the judges, then you are saying the team captain is required to be on the construction team. I was hoping to get more team members involved in the construction and was wondering if there was any way to change it so that only up to 4 students can be on the construction team, regardless of if they present to the judges or not?
Sorry to inform you that we already told most of the teams that the 4 participants have to be the same 4 throughout the competition, and since it is so late in the season we will be holding to that rule. We've never competed in this competition and didn't know that was the rule in previous years and were taking our rules from the National Geowall and other competitions. We will inform next year's host of our mistake and they will probably reverse the rule, but this year we have to keep it as is.
If it helps, any team member can now help cut the reinforcement since it will be on your own and there will be no way for us to enforce this rule, but the rule will be enforced for any portion of the competition in front of the judges.
We are truly sorry for our mistake and wish that we would have known...
44.) Our frame has an increasing vertical defection due to the manufacture causes and we want to enhance one component in order to attain a greater safety of factor. I wonder what penalty we will pay if we change one component of the hardwood frame? And do we need to state the corresponding change in the poster via email?
There will not be any penalty for having a heavier load frame than what was indicated in the paper. You did not have to report it. We will just weigh it day of competition and that will be it. If you would like to update your poster that would help with concurrency with your actual weight that is fine.
45.) It is stipulated that the sand fill line should be covered and the backfill sand is lever in the construction stage. I wonder whether the level of backfill sand can be a little higher than the sand fill line?
Yes, the backfill needs to be higher than the sand fill line to cover it.
46.) Can we use our own computer during presentation because we are afraid that there will be some problems with the format. Have you get the information about the aspect ratio now?
For the presentations on geowall there will not be any projector or anything else. It will just be an informal presentation in front of your poster and other materials.
47.) Will there be a frame to support the poster board? If not, one member must hold the board, I guess.
We will have easels to hold up poster boards.
48.) What is the allowable deflection of the load frame? The updates that were sent out are not consistent (I see values ranging from .75"-1.5")
The allowable deflection will be 1.25"
FAQ:
1.) My question is regards to Section 3: Eligibility which states "A team consists of a maximum of four (4) students consisting of not more than two (2) graduate students"
Does a "Maximum of four (4) students" mean only four students per stage (Fabrication stage, Wall assembly stage, Construction stage etc.) or does it mean that the same four students must be in every stage?
Thank you for your question. The maximum 4 students means that the 4 same students have to work on every stage of the competition. There will only be 4 registered participants per school in the Geowall competition. We do however encourage more students to help out doing the research and design, but during any judged portion at the competition like the poster presentation/questioning and construction the same 4 registered participants will be the only ones allowed to contribute.
Just like all of the other competitions at the conference, there are a maximum number of registered participants that can compete per team this year. This is made to be the same as the ASCE GI/SEI Wall Challenge that the competition is based off of. Other members of the team can still contribute to writing the paper, making the poster, testing, designing, and all other aspects of the competition, but during the actual competition you may only have four participants. We encourage all members of the team to travel to the competition to cheer on your team even though they won't be directly involved in the construction portion.
2.) According to the cover page, the design poster and design report due is March 13th, 2016. However, in the sections of Design Report Submittal and Design Poster, the submission deadline is March 23rd, 2016. We wonder which date we should follow.
The submittal deadline should be March 23rd, 2016. Any other date is a typo.
3.) We wonder if the “description of construction procedures”, which is mentioned in Part (d) of the Design Report Submittal Section, means the description of how we complete the Construction Stage in the Execution Section. For example, how we compact the backfill sand during the construction. If not, could you please give us a more detailed explanation about this requirement?
Yes, the "description of construction procedures" is the portion of the report you may use to describe the process of how you plan to construct the wall, reinforcement, and backfill and the research that made you come to the conclusion that this would be the best method.
4.) We noticed that there were few restrictions on the piles in the rules. We wonder if the requirements of piles are totally the same as required in the 2013 Mid-Pacific GeoWall competition.
I was not a part of the 2013 Mid-Pacific GeoWall Competition and am not sure of what was used then, but looking at the 2013 rules, the pile rules look to be stating the same idea that we are going for in the 2016 Mid-Pacific rules. 1-1/2" schedule 40 PVC pipe should be used.
5.) The section of Hardwood Load Frames requires that the load frame should be made of one of more species of hardwood. And we could not quite understand this sentence. Dose it mean that we could only use one kind of hardwood to make our load frame, or dose it mean that we could use several kinds of hardwood as long as they are in the list of woods summarized by Wikipedia?
You may use any number of species of hardwood in your load frame as long as they are all on the "list of woods".
6.) The rules note that the part of the load frame which is to be inserted into the PVC piles should have a uniform EXTERNAL cross section. We wonder if this part is allowed to have a non uniform internal cross section.
The external cross section of the wood frame that is inserted into the PVC piles needs to be uniform. The internal cross section of the wood frame does not need to be uniform and can be hollowed out or modified as each team sees fit.
Sloppiness does mean looseness.
7.) We wonder if we could add some bracings while designing our load frame. For instance, we may use some bracings to reinforce the corner.
The rules do not specify on the design layout of the wood frame. As long as all of the pieces follow the rules and the 1/2" diameter hardwood rod for loading the bucket is in the proper location you may use any engineering methods to support it. The wood frame does need to be support solely inside the PVC piles. No bracing can come down from the wood frame to brace against the ground.
8.) While the rules only mention that the smaller pieces of the components are allowed to be glued together, we wonder if we could use some metallic materials to join those smaller pieces.
Only glue may be used to join pieces prior to the competition. No metallic materials shall be used in the wood frame.
9.) We noticed that a vertical deflection gauge will be used in the loading stage. We wonder where would the deflection gauge be fixed and which part of the load frame would be measured for deflection.
The deflection gauge will be clamped to the top of the box. The load frame will be measured at the dowel rod.
10.) Since it is not stated clearly in the rules, we would like to make sure that if the steel tie rod is allowed to be removed from the box during the construction stage or not.
Any team may remove the steel tie rod any time they deem necessary, but it does not need to be removed.
11.) We could not quite understand the requirement in the Load Frame Assembly Stage, which says that “The team should have the components of their load frame laid out along with the two S-hooks and the empty surcharge bucket.” Could you please further explain it for us?
This part of the stage is just asking for the teams to have all of the load frame pieces put out so the judges can see and weigh them and make sure they follow all of the rules.
12.) We noticed that the box aesthetic score is missed from the score computing formula. And we would like to make sure that if this part no longer contributes to the final score any more this year.
Painting and addition of school or sponsor logos and other decorations to the exterior of the sandbox is highly encouraged. There is no aesthetics score.
13.) According to the rules, base guides ≤1/4-inch thick are allowed to be attached to the base of the sand box. We wonder if we could use rubber to make the base guides.
Yes, the base guides can be made of rubber.
14.) According to the rules, the piles should be 1-1/2 inch Sch 40 PVC. But in China this type of PVC is not available, we have to buy it on Amazon’s American website, which will create a high freight. So we wonder if you could tell us the external and internal diameters of the PVC piles, so that we may find a substitute in China. If we are not able to get the PVC piles of the right size, is it tolerable for our PVC piles to meet the internal size requirement only?
The outside diameter shall be as close to 1.9 inches or 48.26 mm, and the inside diameter shall be as close to 1.61 inches or 40.894 mm. You may use another product if it is approved by us first. Please provide us with the name of the type of pipe you will like to use along with it's dimensions and we will approve or deny the product individually.
15.) We are having problem understanding this statement about the hardwood loading frame. Could you please explain it for us in a more detailed way? (Figure 3)
The centerline of the 1/2" diameter dowel that holds the hooks at the top of the load frame shall be 36 inches above the floor, plus or minus 1/8 of an inch. The floor is considered the underside of the sandbox or the actual floor the box will be sitting on. If you need further clarification please let us know.
16.) While the connection details, structural analysis etc. of the load frame are required in the design report, are they also required to be included in the design poster?
The poster is more to interest other schools to participate and learn about the GeoWall competition. It does not have to cover everything.
17.) We are having problem understanding this statement in Appendix C1.Could you please explain it for us?
"Wooden pins used for securing components excepted from this"
This is just saying you may use wooden pins to secure components, but components can not be disassembled with shear, tension, or compression of joints alone or non-wooden fasteners.
18.) After conducting an experiment, we found that when the surcharge bucket is hanging on the load frame, the panels of the sandbox would be hard to remove. Will the bucket to be used in the competition smaller than the picture showed or do we need to redesign the sandbox so that when we remove the front panel, it won't touch the bucket?
The bucket will be a 5 gallon bucket or about 19 liters. The bucket should be placed on the load frame after the wall is already removed. There should be no problem.
19.) As for the PVC piles I mentioned before, in China only the outside diameter is stipulated by the national standard. The outside diameter closest to the GEOWALL rules is 50mm,the thickness is about 2.2mm.We wonder if this size can be used for the competition. If not, we would by it through the Internet.
I am also sorry to say that the PVC 50 pipe you are showing will not be allowed. The inside diameter is more than 10% wider than what is specified and therefore may not be used. You will either have to find another PVC pipe that is more similar to the 1.5" PVC Sch 40 pipe or ship the pipe from over seas.
20.) Could threads be used in this way to connect two components as the picture below shows? We wonder if it's allowed by the requirement h, Section 9. (Photo of load frame with string cables holding up load arm)
We like your thinking, but the rules did not translate well. "Threaded" is meant to mean more "screwed together" not the material of fabric thread. All of the materials are wood, but can be threaded (or screwed) together. The grooves in the wood are the threads the rules describe. All of the materials in the load frame must be hard wood.
21 a.) Is the 1/2" diameter dowel one of the components of the load frame? If so, we would also have to make it not be able to slip apart from other components through tension, compression, or shear.
Yes, but probably not in the way you are thinking. The meaning behind this rule is to ensure the frame does not come apart when trying to load it. As long as the dowel does not easily remove from the frame it will be okay.
21 b.)In addition, We would like to make sure if we have correctly understood your answer to question 2 in the last email. Dose it mean that the rule is satisfied as long as no components slip apart when the whole load frame is under shear, compression or tension? We thought the shear, compression and tension are to be applied on every two components to check if they will slip apart from each other during the Pre-Competition Team Captains’Meeting.
It will be up to the judges discretion if they would like to test all of the components. Be prepared for either scenario.
The main reason for the rule is to ensure the components don't fall apart during loading for safety reasons and another reason is if someone accidentally hits the components we don't want it to fall apart.
22.) To reduce the mass of the load frame, we would like to hollow some components which are to be placed into the PVC piles. We wonder if these components meet the requirements of having a uniform external cross section. (Photo of a piece with holes in it)
Yes, having a varying internal cross section is permitted as long as the external cross section is uniform, but what you show has a varying external cross section. The full wood portions varies from the cut out portions. You will need to hollow out the inside without touching the outside.
23.) Could we make the components collapsible if they can fit into the 2x2x12inch prism after they are folded?
Yes, the collapsible components will be allowed. Just be sure the component is secured in place in some way. The component shouldn't be able to move up, down, side to side, or rotate when being loaded.
24.) Could we attach both the rubber circle ring and rubber disk to the base of the sand box at the same time as base guides? The PVC piles will be placed between the ring and the disk.
As described in Section 13, C, the base guides will be removed including the PVC stabilizer. Nothing should be attached to the box. The box is more to show you your limits of construction.
25.) In the rule, the base guide of the PVC piles is not described in details. We wonder if a 1/4" high circular wooden guide can be glued or screwed on the bottom of the sandbox to locate the piles, which means it will be a permanent part of the sandbox, just like the 2016 national GI/SGI-Wall competition. We found that the guide could hardly help for the surcharge and it just worked for the location of the PVC pile.
Per the two National rules questions below:
"There isn't much information specified on the 1/4" thick pvc pile bottom template, but the rules say all templates must be removed at the end of the construction phase. Is this bottom template excluded from that requirement? And if so can we make this template a permanent part of our box that cannot be removed? Thanks.
Scott, thank you for this question. Yes, the 1/4-inch thick templates should be a permanent part of the box. Our school's templates were made from 1/4-inch thick tempered masonite and glued and screwed to the bottom. The discs were slightly tapered at the edges to allow easy installation but have a tight fit when pushed down."
"I was wondering if there was any specifications that needed to be met for the pile stabilizer? There isn't much information about it and I just wanted to make sure that we were following the rules correctly. Thank you.
Daniel, thank you for the question. There isn't a lot of rules control on the pile stabilizer. It should hold the PVC piles into place during the wall construction. That is usually pretty easy to do. But then the stabilizer needs to be removed. Some teams use 1-1/4-inch hole drilled into a piece of wood as their stabilizer and then I observe them really struggling to remove it. Sand gets into the gap and really wedges it into place. Try something that comes apart better, such as a muffler clamp or similar. "
The 1/4" thick PVC pile bottom template should be a permanent part of the box, but the pile stabilizer must be removed.
26.) After the construction stage, can we use the hammer to hit the sandbox in order to make the backfill sand dense again?
Yes, you may hit the sides of the sandbox to compact the sand, but only during the construction phase. After your team says they are done constructing and the loading phase has begun then you may not continue working on your compaction.
27.) The rule writes that the backfill sand is dry, does it mean that the sand just keeps naturally dry or it will be artificially dried before the competition?
The sand will be naturally dry.
28.) As for the material of load frame, can we use our own plywood made by self-laminating various hardwoods?
Yes, you may laminate your own hardwood together.
29.) Are Xacto knives permitted?
Xacto knives are not permitted. What most teams use at Nationals are the rotary knives that have the protector piece over them. The rule is in place because at the last three Nationals there have been some severe cuts from blades so we are trying to reduce the amount of injuries we get.
30.) According to the rule, each connection of the frame should not be able to slip apart through tension, compression, or shear. We wonder what test will be performed to check the hardwood frame?
This rule is there to ensure that the load frame will not fall apart if it accidentally hit or moved. The rule is more of a safety rule so we know the bucket will not fall and hurt someone.
31.) What’s the weight of the single bucket used in the competition?
The bucket will be a Home Depot 5-gallon bucket. I'm not sure what that will convert to in China, but the weight of the bucket is approximately 1.8 pounds.
32.) Is there any limitation on the time of load frame assembly stage?
There is no designated cut off time for the load frame assembly, but the judges will have the ability to stop any team if they believe the team will not finish in a timely manor. The overall time for construction does factor into the structural score too.
33.) We wonder what engineering reasoning means (appendix B).
There are a lot of formulas that you can use to find the solution you will be using. We want to know the thoughts behind what made you use those formulas and why those formulas are sufficient to proving your design will hold up.
34.) What does verifying design parameters beyond assumptions and references mean (appendix B)?
Actual testing and proving that your design will work. Just because there was a study saying "this should work" doesn't mean it will work for you. We want you to prove that it works. There are a lot of variables that can change a test so we don't want you to just assume something is correct because someone else said it was correct. Prove that it is correct.
35.) We also could not understand the word misfit here (appendix B).
This is just accounting for the connections in your load frame. If your pieces are loose or if they fit perfectly.
36.) Could you provide the dimensions for where the pvc piles are located in the sandbox?
Attached is the Sketchup Pro file with all of the specific requirements on the pile locations. Students should be able to get a free version of Sketchup Pro if you do not have the software already. http://www1.pacific.edu/~smerry/
37.) Since we are now allowed to use any cutting tool to cut our reinforcing strips, are we allowed to use any cutting tool to cut out the wall during competition? Such as a box cutter?
If you are to cut anything in front of the judges you will still need a closed blade. We just can't check what you cut with on your own time. It's a liability issue when you're cutting things on our time. In the past at Nationals people have cut themselves really badly while in a rush at competition and that is the reason for this rule. Safety First!
38.) In Section 13.e.ii, it is described that after the load frame is loaded, the 55 lb surcharge is taken off and a 5 lb surcharge is put back onto the frame. Then in Section 13.e.iii, the three panels are removed and a 25 lb surcharge is added to the frame. Is the 5 lb surcharge applied in a bucket that will be hanging on the frame? If so, are we supposed to be able to remove the three panels with the bucket hanging right there?
Loading the bucket is just to take out the slack in the frame. We will take off the bucket, then take out the walls, and then load the frame again if necessary.
39.) In Mailer I, Section 3. Eligibility says the team consists of a maximum of 4 students. Do the 2 students who present to the judges have to be part of the same 4 students who are on the construction team and the same 4 students who wrote the Design Paper?
The design paper may be written by anyone on the team including or excluding the four at the competition. Anyone that competes in front of the judges whether it be poster presentations and/or construction will need to be the same four competitors.
40.) Is the GeoWall Design Paper due today at 6:00pm, or is it due April 4 (as read in Mailer III)?
The Geowall Design Papers are due today. The April 4th date is a typo.
41.) Can more than one species of hardwood be used to make the load frame?
You may use as many species of hard wood as you like.
42.) How do you check whether the wood is hardwood or not?
Please know what type of wood each piece is. The judges may ask you what wood each piece is to cross reference with photos. Receipts may be helpful too. For the most part it will be on the honor system for using hardwood materials.
43.) In regards to my previous question about which people can be on the construction team and which people can present to the judges: we have more than 4 people on our team and if the team captain is required to present to the judges, then you are saying the team captain is required to be on the construction team. I was hoping to get more team members involved in the construction and was wondering if there was any way to change it so that only up to 4 students can be on the construction team, regardless of if they present to the judges or not?
Sorry to inform you that we already told most of the teams that the 4 participants have to be the same 4 throughout the competition, and since it is so late in the season we will be holding to that rule. We've never competed in this competition and didn't know that was the rule in previous years and were taking our rules from the National Geowall and other competitions. We will inform next year's host of our mistake and they will probably reverse the rule, but this year we have to keep it as is.
If it helps, any team member can now help cut the reinforcement since it will be on your own and there will be no way for us to enforce this rule, but the rule will be enforced for any portion of the competition in front of the judges.
We are truly sorry for our mistake and wish that we would have known...
44.) Our frame has an increasing vertical defection due to the manufacture causes and we want to enhance one component in order to attain a greater safety of factor. I wonder what penalty we will pay if we change one component of the hardwood frame? And do we need to state the corresponding change in the poster via email?
There will not be any penalty for having a heavier load frame than what was indicated in the paper. You did not have to report it. We will just weigh it day of competition and that will be it. If you would like to update your poster that would help with concurrency with your actual weight that is fine.
45.) It is stipulated that the sand fill line should be covered and the backfill sand is lever in the construction stage. I wonder whether the level of backfill sand can be a little higher than the sand fill line?
Yes, the backfill needs to be higher than the sand fill line to cover it.
46.) Can we use our own computer during presentation because we are afraid that there will be some problems with the format. Have you get the information about the aspect ratio now?
For the presentations on geowall there will not be any projector or anything else. It will just be an informal presentation in front of your poster and other materials.
47.) Will there be a frame to support the poster board? If not, one member must hold the board, I guess.
We will have easels to hold up poster boards.
48.) What is the allowable deflection of the load frame? The updates that were sent out are not consistent (I see values ranging from .75"-1.5")
The allowable deflection will be 1.25"
Water Research: |
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The water research paper focuses on engineering applications to water and wastewater. Each year a different topic focused on the different aspects of water and wastewater is brought up. Undergraduate and graduate students compete with each other through a research paper. Then, at the competition, the students give an oral presentation on their paper. The point of this competition is to encourage engineers to learn about water resources and wastewater material.
Transportation: |
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The purpose of this competition is to give students an opportunity to gain experience in transportation engineering. This challenge incorporates geometric design, traffic engineering, and surveying techniques to challenge students with a real world transportation engineering situation.
FAQ:
**THE DUE DATE FOR THE PAPER AND INTERSECTION PLANS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO MARCH 27th @ 11:59PM PST. PLEASE EMAIL ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (STATED IN THE RULES) TO [email protected] NO LATER THAN THAT TIME. THANKS!**
**Schools may now send RFIs and Questions about the compeition's rules to [email protected] until February 22.**
Mailer I says on page three that there's a presentation, yet on page fifty-four there it says there is only a poster; which is it?
There will be no presentation for the transportation competition, only a poster which has its criteria outlined in the primary rules for the competition. We apologize for this miscommunication.
1.) The volume is in vehicle per hour, what is the proportion of trucks and passenger vehicles
Please assume an appropriate value and discuss why this value was chosen.
2.) What are the bicycle and pedestrian demands?
Please make sure that your intersection is following the city of Reno standards. This project is to demonstrate the understanding of a complete intersection design. Every intersection will be different, but it will be judge on how well your design is carried out and how well your assumptions were explained and executed through the design process and calculations.
3.) May we know the land use of the other tree corners of the intersection?
Please assume all land use to be similar shopping areas or state assumption.
4.) Where is the general location of this mall: suburb or downtown?
Please assume suburb or state assumption.
5.) The rule says that "do not make any changes to the existing surface or right-of-way limits"
We have two questions for this sentence, just want to make sure we understand it correctly.
1. We think we can change the surface when we design the grading plan. This sentence means that we need to leave the original surface on our new drawings. Right?
Correct! Please show the existing ground surface as well as the finished grade surface on the drawings.
2. Can we widen the right-of-way limits near the intersection? Does the sentence also mean that what we should do is to show the original right-of-way limits on our drawing?
You must show the right-of-way limits and and if your design exceeds these limits a permanent easement must be dimesnioned and shown on the plans, but ensure that you have exhausted all available design possibilities prior to extending the right-of-way to a permanent easement line.
6.) We noticed the APN number beneath the Markham Malls. Is that a specific location in Reno?
No, the location is arbitrary.
(7) Is there any information about the parking entrance and pedestrian entrance of the mall? Or do we need to design it by ourselves?
There is no set location for the mall entrance. You may include a design of the entrances on the north and west roads, but it is not required. The project is directed on the design of a complete intersection.
8.) Is there any information about the level/elevation of the road?
Yes, when you open the file in AutoCAD Civil 3D you should have no issues seeing the existing ground surface. Please make sure the file is opened in Civil 3D and not just AutoCAD.
9.) Our design is having trouble fitting in the Right-of-way boundary, what can we do?
I would highly recommend doing several iterations of your design to have it fit within the right-of-way, but if all options have been exhausted you may propose a permanent easement that extends the width of the right-of-way in order to fit your intersection. This new easement must be dimensioned and shown clearly on the plans.
10.) Is there a pavement material cost data sheet for Nevada or specifically Reno, Nevada?
NDOT does have some values, we are not looking for exact cost here, just a preliminary estimate of cost. Follow this link (http://nevadadot.com/Doing_Business/Contractors/ListContracts.aspx) to view past bid tabulations and some relevant cost values from previous projects.
11.) Where are the outlines of the Mega Mall and other obstructions to calculate the sight triangles?
What we are looking for here are site triangles for any yield or uncontrolled movement your intersection may have. Essentially just need sight distance for any of these movements, and does not need to take into account obstructions.
12.) On page 5 of the rules, it mentions to reference the HDM. But since this intersection is in Nevada should we be referencing the Highway Design Guide (HDG) instead? (http://www.nevadadot.com/uploadedFiles/NDOT/About_NDOT/NDOT_Divisions/Engineering/Design/2010_Road_Design_Guide.pdf)
Yes, please use the HDG and any other reference materials needed. Make sure to reference them in your paper.
13.) What should we assume as a saturation flow rate?
Please use 1900 veh/hr/lane as a saturation flow rate which is generally a common assumption.
14.) Do we need to grade the entire civil site or just the intersection?
Please grade the intersection as well as the surrounding civil site to the extents of construction.
Mini-games: |
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Social Night: Come Together ♫
More is being determined about this event, please check back later for more detailed information.
University of Nevada, Reno, American Society of Civil Engineers, Student Chapter ©2016