Media Advisory: March 23-26, CSULA
Concrete canoes, steel bridges, water filters, more put engineering minds to the test
Civil engineering students from 19 universities to compete at regional conference hosted by Cal State L.A.
Los Angeles, CA -- From March 23-26, nearly 1,000 civil engineering students will converge at California State University, Los Angeles to fabricate a scaled steel bridge; engineer a concrete bowling ball, discus and shot put for a triathlon; and create a filtration system using conventional household items.
These activities and more are part of the annual American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Pacific Southwest Conference, hosted by Cal State L.A. this year for the first time.
A highlight of the conference is the concrete canoe competition, where each college team is to design and construct a concrete canoe that can float. The canoes will then compete in a swamp test, endurance contest and sprint race at the Santa Fe Dam on Friday, Mar. 25.
The ASCE regional conference draws students from Nevada, Arizona, California and Hawaii universities to compete in a series of engineering-related events. The competition gives students practical experience, allows them to network with peers, and gives them a chance to qualify for a national championship berth.
The four-day conference will culminate on Saturday, Mar. 26, with an awards ceremony at the Quiet Cannon restaurant in Montebello.
For schedule and exact locations of events and a list of participating universities, go to http://pswc2011.org
WHAT: The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) 2011 Pacific Southwest Regional Conference at Cal State L.A. to feature concrete canoe, steel bridge and environmental design challenges and more.
WHEN: Wednesday, Mar. 23 – registration and open ceremony, flag design
Thursday, Mar. 24 – balsa bridge, environmental design, triathlon
Friday, March 25 – concrete canoe, mystery event (Santa Fe Dam)
Saturday, March 26 – steel bridge, engineering relay, surveying
WHERE: Cal State L.A. campus. The University is located at the Eastern Avenue exit of the San Bernardino Freeway.
campus map: /univ/maps/cslamap.php
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Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 215,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six Colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to a unique university center for gifted students as young as 12. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH- and Rockefeller-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a growing forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu