The University of Florida’s Eckhoff Steel Bridge team has made history. For the fourth year in a row, the team has won at the American Institute of Steel Construction’s 2024 Student Steel Bridge Competition National Finals.
No other team has won national championships for three consecutive years, let alone four. The UF team claimed its latest championship earlier this month at Louisiana Tech University, squaring off against 46 other teams, which were narrowed down at regional competitions from nearly 200 teams.
“The bridge assembly team has set the standard for the competition with first-place economy scores—bridge construction speed with the number of builders—in each of the last four years,” said Team Faculty Advisor Taylor Rawlinson, Ph.D.
He has been with the team since 2016, became faculty advisor in 2019, and said this is hopefully just the beginning of a historical run. He credits the team’s growth and culture for their success. Members, he said, dedicate significant time to design, fabrication, and professional development by running workshops and encouraging students to get involved with an emphasis on team continuity every year.