Iowa State hosted over 40 groups of civil engineering students on May 30-31 for the 2025 Student Steel Bridge Competition National Finals for the first time.

According to the American Institute of Steel Construction, SSBC challenges students to use and expand their classroom knowledge in a steel design project, aiming to build their interpersonal and professional skills, while inspiring innovation and fostering relationships between students and industry professionals. The winner of the national finals takes home the prize of $8,000 in scholarships.

Participants must conquer the goal of building a steel bridge under timed construction, designed to carry 2,500 pounds and span 20 feet.

The designed bridges will be judged on various criteria, including weight, aesthetics, load capacity, structural efficiency and cost estimation in order to be considered in the final results of the competition.

With 43 teams participating, the University of Florida placed first, Lafayette College finished second overall and Virginia Tech took third place. Iowa State placed 33rd.

The 2025 special awards went to the University of California, San Diego for the Team Engagement Award; Lincoln Memorial University won the Robert E. Shaw Jr. Spirit of the Competition Award; Kennesaw State University earned the Frank J. Hatfield Ingenuity Award and Clemson University won the John M. Yadlosky Most Improved Team Award.

For the video awards, New York University won first place, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México placed second and the University of British Columbia placed third.

According to the Iowa State University Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Facebook page, Iowa State appeared in 12 national finals, dating back to 1999. Iowa State started its steel bridge team 25 years ago and civil engineering senior Sydney Hyzy currently leads the team as president.