Virginia Tech is excited to welcome hundreds of students to campus on May 22-23, 2020 for the National Student Steel Bridge Competition. The SSBC has been happening since 1987 when Lawrence Tech, Michigan Tech, and Wayne State competed in a parking lot to determine who had the best bridge. This first competition sparked an interest in the competition across the country, thus starting the Regional Events and National Events. The competition has grown every year since and now there are approximately 200 schools that compete each year.
We plan to continue this tradition with an action-filled weekend. The Main Competition will be located in the Beamer-Lawson Indoor Practice Facility. The building is a steel-framed structure where the VT football team practices. This will also be the location of the Saturday night Awards Banquet. The Aesthetics judging will be located in the concourse area of Lane Stadium, so you will not only experience where the Hokies practice but where they play as well. We hope to keep the competition in a central location, but feel free to explore the campus and take in the famous Hokie Stone and Gothic architecture.
While the Hokie Stone facade is a staple of the campus, it did not start out like that. Virginia Tech started in 1872 as a land grant university with focus in agriculture and engineering, and all brick buildings. The campus has a long history and the multiple name changes encompass that story. One of the oldest components is the Corp of Cadets, started officially in the 1890s, paying homage to the military aspect of the school when first started in 1872. We are one of the three remaining public institutions that has both an active corp of cadets and a “civilian” lifestyle.
For more information about the event and to find ways to sponsor or volunteer for the event, go to https://nationalfinals.studentsteelbridge.org/home