Student engineers from UNLV will test their mettle against peers from a dozen regional universities in events like steel bridge building, concrete canoe races, a timber strong design-build, and more during the 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Intermountain Southwest Symposium.

The regional conference will be held April 14-16 and draws students from Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Idaho universities to compete in a series of engineering-related events and attend career-focused workshops. It also gives students practical experience, allows them to network with peers, and – in the case of concrete canoe and steel bridge – gives them a chance to qualify for a national championship berth. 

Visit the symposium website for a complete list of participating universities and information on additional events. The events below are free and open to the public. 

Thursday, April 14 (Event locations listed in parentheses)

• 7 to 10 a.m. – Concrete Canoe/Steel Bridge Display (UNLV Thomas & Mack Naples Lot)
• 10:30 a.m. to Noon – Concrete Canoe/Steel Bridge Presentations (Thomas & Mack Meeting Rooms A & B)
• 9 a.m. to Noon – Timber Strong Design/Build (Thomas & Mack Meeting Room C, Naples Lot)

Friday, April 15

• 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Concrete Canoe Races (Lake Mead – Special Events Beach)
• 9 a.m. to Noon – Surveying Competition (UNLV Science and Engineering Bldg.)

Saturday, April 16

• 7 a.m. to Noon – Steel Bridge Competition (Thomas & Mack Naples Lot)

About the Events

Concrete Canoe – Considered the “America’s Cup of Civil Engineering,” this competition combines race, aesthetic and technical elements and provides hands-on experience in project management and concrete-mix design. 

Steel Bridge – Teams build a functional scale model of a steel bridge and are judged on speed of assembly, weight, display and the ability to withstand various weight loads. 

Timber Strong – A more recent addition to ASCE student competitions, the Timber-Strong challenge has students design and construct a two-story wooden building that is sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and durable.

Surveying Challenge – This competition pits student teams against each other to solve common challenges encountered in the industry. Teams must also complete a topographic mapping project and differential and profile leveling with engineering design.