The championship marks the UF team’s seventh first-place win since 1997, the most wins by a single team in the competition’s 33-year history. The team also scored second-place wins in 1995, 2005, 2008 and 2019, as well as placing third in 2003 and 2016. 

Held at Iowa State University, the American Institute of Steel Construction’s (AISC) Student Bridge Competition ran May 30-31, challenging 43 college teams to build lightweight bridges with cost efficiency, design efficiency and speed.  

In this week’s Tech Tuesday, UF Innovate’s host Bethany Gaffey introduces Damian Blanco from the UF Steel Bridge team. This student-led group designs and constructs competition bridges, focusing on speed, strength, and efficiency.

“Think you can build a bridge in five minutes? We’re here with the UF Steel Bridge team to learn more Damian, tell us about who you are and what you do at Steel Bridge?” asked Gaffey.

“I am a fourth-year civil engineering major. I’m currently the 2024-2025 project manager at Steel Bridge. My job this year is to manage a project, make sure that we run on time and keep everything moving smoothly,” said Damian Blanco, project manager at UF Steel Bridge.