Trine University’s mystery design team from left, Blake Dulle, Ryan Hoak and Seymour native Dillon Cooper, with the first-place award they received at the regional competition.
Submitted photo
The Trine University student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers built a bridge to national competition.
For the first time, a Trine team took the top place in the regional steel bridge competition, qualifying for ASCE national student championships.
Trine also won the concrete disc and mystery design competitions, finishing third overall at the event.
The ASCE Indiana-Kentucky Student Conference was held April 11-13 at Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, Indiana. Civil engineering students from 12 universities in Indiana and Kentucky took part in the event.
For the concrete disc competition, students were tasked with designing and constructing discs similar to those used for disc golf, but made out of concrete. Teams were judged based on durability, aesthetics, weight and putting accuracy.
The Trine team included civil engineering majors Ryan Hoak of Warsaw, Dillon Cooper of Seymour, Derek Maag of Ottawa, Ohio, and Gage Ornduff of Elkhart.
Hoak, who served as captain, said he was drawn to the competition by his passion for disc golf.
“Our first task was to experiment with various mix designs to create ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) capable of withstanding ground impacts,” Hoak said. “While we initially encountered difficulties finding suitable mix designs, we persevered through testing approximately five or six variations until finding one that met the competition’s requirements and still held together after curing.”
The team then encased a normal golf disc in silicone to create a mold. After removing the concrete discs from the mold, they sanded and ground them to create a smooth surface, then painted the discs to enhance the appearance.
“Our precise mold and meticulous sanding improved both the aerodynamics and aesthetics of the disc,” Hoak said. “The inclusion of steel fibers in our mix allowed us to create thinner discs without sacrificing strength, significantly reducing their weight. The vibrant paint job added a visually striking element.”
“Winning the competition brought immense satisfaction after countless hours and late nights spent working on the project throughout the semester. Overall, it was a rewarding experience to see our hard work pay off in such a tangible way.”
The other two teams that competed were in the strength and style and extra weight categories.