CSUN Team Ranks 19th in Bridge Design

Six Cal State Northridge civil engineering students learned Wednesday they ranked 19th in the National Steel Bridges Competition, university officials said.

“This was exciting for both the students and faculty of CSUN, as it was the first time they competed at the national level during the nine years the competition has been held,” said Stephen A. Gadomski, chairman of the civil and manufacturing engineering department.

In the competition last weekend at Texas A&M; University, the CSUN team showcased its engineering abilities along with about 250 other students from 43 universities, said university spokesman John Chandler.

“It’s the first time we’ve done this well, and I’m real proud of them,” said Ed Larson, a CSUN part-time instructor who volunteered to help with the competition.

CSUN won the right to compete at the national level by taking second place at the regional competition in Tucson in early April. The students had to build a 22-foot-long steel bridge over a 14-foot-wide imaginary river under extreme pressure. The students could not use any piece larger than 4 feet.

The CSUN team included James B. Bobo, Raymond P. Carroll, Scott R. Giannini, Jerry M. Lebeck, Norman D. Raymundo and Victoria A. Stone, all members of the American Society of Civil Engineers, which sponsors the contest.