Atlas Tube sponsors UIC team for 2013 ASCE Great Lakes Student Conference

CHICAGO – Atlas Tube, a division of JMC Steel Group, sponsored the eight-member University of Illinois at Chicago Steel Bridge Team at this year’s Great Lakes Student Conference, hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Atlas donated $1,000 to the UIC ASCE Student Chapter for the competition.

“Atlas Tube was honored to sponsor the UIC Steel Bridge Team,” said Brad Fletcher, senior sales engineer at Atlas Tube. “We felt that it was an excellent way to not only connect with students, but also a great way to build relationships with future engineers.”

According to the ASCE, the student bridge competition “challenges student teams to design and fabricate a one-tenth scale steel bridge.” The UIC Steel Bridge Team designed, fabricated and constructed their bridge entirely out of hollow structural sections (HSS), with the exception of nuts and bolts.

“With weight and cost being such important factors, HSS was the clear choice with its high strength-to-weight ratio and extensive availability,” said Michael Medsker, captain of the UIC ASCE Steel Bridge Team.

The ASCE Great Lakes Student Conference was held April 18–20 at Trine University in Angola, Indiana. Information on the competition, including results and scores, can be found at trine.edu/glc2013.