2nd annual Construction Olympics showcases civil engineering at UA
A student competes in the "Fork it Over" event.
On October 27, a total of 70 students gathered at the Auburn Science and Engineering Center for the second annual Construction Olympics. Hosted by the Department of Civil Engineering at The University of Akron (UA), the event featured eight light construction challenges, offering students the opportunity to earn Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals. Additionally, the overall winner of the octathlon received a $100 Home Depot gift card.
The challenges for this year included a Speed Hammering competition, a Concrete Cylinder Toss, a Pacing exercise, Precision Drilling, an Accuracy Saw Cut, a Room Volume Calculation, and two equipment stations known as "Reach for the Sky" and "Fork it Over." In "Reach for the Sky," students utilized a scissor lift to retrieve a balloon suspended from a parking lot light post, while in "Fork it Over," a forklift was used to transport a pallet of rocks through a maze of cones from one location to another.
A student retrieves a balloon during "Reach for the Sky."
In one remarkable achievement, a student calculated a room volume within a mere 0.3 cubic feet of the target total room volume of 6,816 cubic feet. That is within 0.004 percent!
"Our annual Construction Olympics is an impactful signature event to build interest and encourage high school students to study construction engineering technology, civil engineering and surveying and mapping at UA. It is also a fun event for current students to explore more in these degree programs," said Brian Ballou, professor of construction engineering technology and host of the Construction Olympics.
Congratulations to the following winners:
First Place (tie)
Carl Schaub, majoring in Construction Engineering Technology
First Place (tie)
Trevor Horman, a student from Medina County Career Center
Third Place
Jason Vogt, majoring in Civil Engineering
The Construction Olympiad was sponsored by Independence Excavating, Inc., Summit Construction and The Ruhlin Company.
RELATED CONTENT:
Story by CEPS Marketing.
Media contact: Cristine Boyd, 330-972-6476 or cboyd@uakron.edu.