UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

UT Tyler Excels at AISC Steel Bridge Contest

May 18, 2020

Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.566.7303

The University of Texas at Tyler announced today that students from the civil engineering program at the UT Tyler Houston Engineering Center earned top honors and seven awards at the American Institute of Steel Construction Regional Steel Bridge Competition.

The contest involves collegiate teams overseeing the design and fabrication of a 20-foot-long bridge to support up to 2,500 pounds. With its 2020 entry “Beta,” the UT Tyler HEC team placed second and qualified for the national contest, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

UT Tyler also placed first in aesthetics and second in all other categories ­­– construction speed, lightness, stiffness, construction economy and structural efficiency. The University’s Houston-based program started in 2014, and the team consists of both civil and mechanical engineering majors.

“The dedication and effort displayed by our students for this year’s competition was unbelievable, including over 48 hours of no sleep prior to the competition due to last minute modifications, repairs, corrections and assembly practice,” said Dr. Andres Garcia, HEC director. “They demonstrated that they have what it takes to compete head-to-head with more seasoned civil engineering programs across the state.” 

Team members are:

  • Taylor Knight of Kingwood, Team Captain
  • Andrew Gonzales of Houston, Team Captain
  • Sean Hyslop of Cypress, Fabrication Captain
  • Dominick Laurito of Omaha, Nebraska, Build Captain
  • Esmeralda Martinez of Houston
  • Hector Rubio of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
  • Austin Pham of Houston
  • Erick Alamo of Lufkin
  • Danny Varghese of Houston
  • Robert Truong of New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Chris Garcia of Houston

UT Tyler is a candidate to host the 2021 regional competition. The AISC committee will meet with officials in Houston to review the competition logistics and location requirements to verify the feasibility, Garcia noted.

A member of the prestigious UT System, The University of Texas at Tyler focuses on student success and innovative research in the more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered to nearly 10,000 students. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News and World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.