Universities in Mexico, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas to compete in civil engineering design and construction competitions in Amarillo, TX

Regional competition winners advance to compete in the ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships in June at University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Reston, Va. – The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Region 6 Student Symposium was hosted by the West Texas A&M and Texas Tech University April 12 – April 15, 2023 in Amarillo, TX. At the event, over 550 civil engineering students from 27 universities in Mexico, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas put their academic and project management knowledge to the test, participating in annual Society-wide competitions including the ASCE Concrete Canoe, the AISC (American Institute of Steel Construction)/ASCE Student Steel Bridge Competition, the ASCE/UESI (Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute) Surveying Competition, and the ASCE Sustainable Solutions Competition – Envisioning a New Downtown. The University of Texas at Tyler team won the Concrete Canoe competition, ASCE’s flagship student event, where students compete to construct a canoe made entirely out concrete that is capable of floating and racing.

The University of Houston team will advance to the finals for the ASCE Sustainable Solutions Competition, where students are tasked with using sustainable practices to transform a fictional area into a gathering place for a community. The University of Texas at Arlington will be advancing in the AISC/ASCE Steel Bridge Competition, which requires students to develop a concept for a scale-model steel bridge spanning 20 feet and carrying at least 2,500 pounds. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley placed first in the ASCE UESI Surveying Competition, which asks students to use standard field and office equipment and procedures to solve common problems encountered in industry, including a topographic mapping project and determining the depths of a proposed sewer line at different locations.

These teams have qualified to compete at the Society-wide finals as part of the ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships June 10-12 at University of Wisconsin-Platteville in Platteville, WI

"Congratulations to all the winners of the Region 6 ASCE Student Symposia competitions," said Maria Lehman, P.E., President of ASCE. "These students have developed crucial skills in teamwork and critical thinking, which are essential for a successful career in civil engineering. We hope they continue to succeed in the Society-wide competitions in June."

The first ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition was held in 1988, but the history of Concrete Canoe goes back to the 1960s, when a small number of ASCE Student Chapters began holding intramural concrete canoe races. The competition requires students to construct a seaworthy canoe made entirely of concrete. The competition challenges civil engineering students to apply the engineering principles learned in the classroom to a real-world task, while utilizing project management and team building skills. The Concrete Canoe program consists of both athletic and academic events, designed to test the knowledge, creativity and stamina of each team. The competition evaluates teams on design and construction, a technical proposal, an enhanced focus area, a formal business presentation, and five different races—men’s and women’s slalom races, men’s and women’s sprint races, and a co-ed sprint race.

The ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships is organized by ASCE and hosted annually by a university student chapter, thanks in part to funds provided by the ASCE Foundation.

The following schools were represented at the ASCE Region 6 Student Symposium:

  • Angelo State University
  • Lamar University
  • LeTourneau University
  • New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
  • New Mexico State University
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Rice University
  • Southern Methodist University
  • Tarleton State University
  • Tecnológico de Monterrey
  • Texas A&M University
  • Texas A&M University-Kingsville
  • Texas Tech University
  • Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico
  • Universidad Panamericana Guadalajara
  • University of Houston
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of Oklahoma
  • University of Texas at Arlington
  • University of Texas at Austin
  • University of Texas at El Paso
  • University of Texas at San Antonio
  • University of Texas at Tyler
  • University of Texas at Tyler-Houston Engineering Center
  • University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  • West Texas A&M University
  • Symbiosis Institute of Technology

About the American Society of Civil Engineers

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.