Two teams of Western Washington University Engineering Technology students took first and second place at the Super Lightweight Composite Bridge Building Competition on May 19 in Long Beach, Calif.
The competition was part of a five-day conference for the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE). The competition involved building a lightweight composite bridge; the team with the strongest bridge that can hold the most weight wins. The teams won $500 for their finishes and an additional $350 for a poster presentation on the bridge-making process.
Team member Austin Matsui said the team worked tirelessly designing and constructing the most efficient lightweight composite bridge possible, and that they came out of the experience with better problem solving skills and a newfound appreciation of teamwork.
"We are very proud to be representing Western Washington University and making it nationally known that we take our composites very seriously," Matsui said.
For more information contact professor Steve Dillman at (360) 650-3380 or e-mail Steven.Dillman@wwu.edu.