Teams compete in bridge-building event

Staff report

youngstown

The Mahoning Valley Miniature Bridge Building Competition was conducted last week for those high school teams unable to attend the original February event date because of inclement weather.

The make-up event was at Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley Center. Competing were 16 teams from nine area high schools, including Canfield, Hubbard, Jackson-Milton, LaBrae, Mahoning County Career and Technical Center, Poland Seminary, Springfield Local, Western Reserve and Youngstown Early College. Scores were carried forward for the six teams that participated Feb. 25. Those teams included Choffin Career and Technical Center, Girard, Lowellville and Niles McKinley.

First place for the most efficient bridge (bridge weight/failure load) was won by Girard High School. Second- place honors went to Niles-McKinley High School, which also received the Strength Award, setting a new record for most weight carried at 185.76 pounds.

A new award was created for this year’s competition to honor one of the areas foremost structural engineers, Wade Harvey, who had lost his battle with cancer in 2010 and was one of the founding members for the event.

The Wade Harvey Design Award was presented to the team that not only had a high efficiency ratio but also scored high in the aesthetics of the structure and the complexity of its design. Canfield High School was the recipient of the inaugural Wade Harvey Design Award.

Aesthetics Awards were presented to Poland Seminary and to Niles-McKinley. Teamwork Awards went to Hubbard High School, Youngstown Early College and Choffin Career and Technical Center. The Most Improved High School Award was presented to Western Reserve High School.

The MVMBBC competition started in 2008 with Mahoning County Engineer Richard Marsico and Trumbull County Engineer David DeChristofaro, working in concert with YSU, MS Consultants Inc., and GPD Group to assist in exposing high school students to the civil-engineering field. For more information on the Mahoning Valley Miniature Bridge Building Competition, look for it on Facebook.