Students to compete in finals of bridge building competition

Placing among the top five at an engineering competition, Ball State University students from the College of Architecture and Planning look forward to competing in the final round of a bridge building competition at the University of Akron.

Senior Paul Lindsay hesitated to voice his excitement for placing among the top five, beating out prominent engineering institutions like Purdue University and Case Western Reserve University at the Student Titanium pedestrian Bridge Design Competition
"We put more hours into it than I care to remember," he said.

Lindsay said it was a great networking opportunity to meet people in the engineering industry.

"It was pretty awesome to be recognized as having potential," he said.

If the project goes well, he said he might look into making a career out of titanium engineering. Lindsay said he's looking forward to having a new medium to work with in the commercial sector.

Kevin Klinger, associate professor of architecture, said titanium is lighter and stronger than steel, but it's more expensive.

Klinger said he remembers doing a little dance, "my best Western dance," when he heard Ball State made the top five.

"I was fairly confident and hopeful we would place," he said.

Building a titanium bridge for Akron was the focus an immersive learning course last semester, and it included students from the Institute of Digital Fabrication.

IDF is an institution at Ball State that combines cutting-edge industrial computer technology with architectural design.

Ball State's model stood out, Klinger said, for it's innovative use titanium pieces of various size and shape.

"We're trying to radiate the energy we have into real components of the industry," Klinger said.

Klinger said this is about the 10th immersive project undertaken by the department.
"We're getting involved at a completely new scale," he said. "[This competition is] a chance to engage with other industry partners."

The final competition will be held at Akron's Quaker Square Inn on May 14. The winners will be announced May 20.

Each of the finalist teams will receive scholarships from the event sponsor, Defense Metals Technology Center, for the study of specialty metals in commercial applications.


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