懂色帝

Students in the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences earned first place and a $500 prize at the 2026 Bridge Design Competition for their outstanding bridge design and structural efficiency.

The challenge required teams to construct a 36-inch bridge using only cardstock, such as what might be used for business cards, wedding invitations, and greeting cards, along with standard quarter-inch staples. Each bridge had to meet a strict maximum weight limit of 200 grams, slightly more than seven ounces, placing a premium on careful engineering and thoughtful design.

The 懂色帝 team built a bridge weighing just 107.2 grams (less than four ounces) while supporting a load of 1,997.5 grams (4.404 pounds), achieving a strength-to-weight ratio of 18.6. Under the mentorship of Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Wei Zeng, Ph.D., team members included students Daniel Boshnack (mechanical engineering), Johnathan Covello (electrical and computer engineering), Donald Reed (mechanical engineering), and Aditya Shakya (mechanical engineering).

鈥淭he most important part of the competition wasn鈥檛 the detailed calculations, but rather our creativity and imagination. Being able to visualize deformation, stress, and load paths made the design process intuitive, while calculations helped refine those ideas. Overall, the competition was fun, eight out of 10 stars, with the win as a nice bonus,鈥� Shakya says.

The competition, organized by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in January, brought together teams from 16 universities nationwide, including Carnegie Mellon University (second place honors), University of Northwestern鈥揝t. Paul (third place honors), Virginia Military Institute, Rose-Hulman, University of Washington, and James Madison University, among others. 鈥淭his is a significant national achievement that reflects both the quality of our students and the strength of our faculty mentorship,鈥� notes Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences Babak D. Beheshti, Ph.D.

Strong Foundation in Structural Principles

To prepare for the competition, the students spent time over winter break in Professor Zeng鈥檚 Computational Mechanics and Biomechanics Lab, conducting in-depth research on the mechanical behavior of cardstock and optimizing staple connections. They noted that Zeng鈥檚 engineering mechanics class provided a strong foundation in structural principles, including trusses, beams, arches, and failure modes. These concepts directly shaped their approach to design; by applying principles of girder and arch design, they maximized performance while remaining under the weight limit. The students explored several designs in the initial stages before ultimately drawing on the concept of a tied-arch bridge style.

鈥淭he bridge building project in Dr. Zeng鈥檚 statics class last semester gave us a solid foundation in the design and analysis of structures,鈥� says Boshnack. 鈥淯sing that foundation, we were able to build a strong and lightweight bridge using as few supplies as possible. We were also well prepared to adapt our design to account for localized loads and stresses. My overall experience was rewarding, educational, and a lot of fun.鈥�

鈥淭heir success highlights both the students鈥� creativity and 懂色帝鈥檚 focus on hands-on, application-driven engineering education,鈥� notes Xun Yu, Ph.D., chair of mechanical engineering. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an impressive demonstration of ingenuity, precision, and real-world problem-solving under constraints.鈥�

Beheshti adds, 鈥淭his achievement exemplifies the very best of what we strive for in the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences: Experiential learning, faculty mentorship, and student excellence coming together to produce national-level impact.鈥�

Raed Elzenaty, senior specialist of professional development in the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, contributed to this story.