<body><div>A North Carolina State University student team, guided by faculty advisor Gregory Lucier and member producer Tindall Corp., took the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute 2024 Engineering Design Competition. Now in its 24th and better known as Big Beam, the event challenges college or university students to fabricate and test 20-ft. structural members. Teams are judged on their beam’s load-resisting performance in tests that simulate real-world building or infrastructure conditions; quality of analyses and reports; and, project overview videos.“Big Beam provided a platform for us to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge acquired in school and its practical application in the precast industry,” says N.C. State’s Sam Valmassoi. “I was particularly excited about the use of ultra-high-performance concrete in our design and the unique challenges and opportunities that arose.”“The Big Beam competition is the foundation of our mission to support and promote student education initiatives,” adds PCI President and CEO Bob Risser. “The future of the precast, prestressed concrete industry is in good hands, judging by the entries. Congratulations to the North Carolina State University team and all of the students who participated.”Rounding out 2024 Big Beam Competition leaders in second and third place were teams from Lehigh University, with faculty advisor Clay Naito and PCI producer Northeast Prestressed Products; and, University of Alabama Team 1, with faculty advisor Sriram Aaleti and PCI producer Gate Precast. The Lehigh team also prevailed in the Big Beam Best Video category and took the competition’s Keith Kaufman Award for Best Report, recognizing clear presentation of data, professional look and formatting, plus overall writing quality.Other 2024 Big Beam participants included teams from University of Minnesota – Duluth, with PCI producer Molin Concrete Products; Northern Arizona University, with EnCon AZ LLC, dba TPAC; Old Dominion University, with Coastal Precast Systems; and, University of Western Ontario, with Stubbe’s Precast. Aspire magazine and Pennsylvania-based ALP Supply sponsored this year’s event.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1SmU8e_0wChGM3U00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1SmU8e_0wChGM3U00" width="631" height="485" ><figcaption>Lehigh University Big Beam team members, from left: Kate Springsteen, Taryn Ross, Ryder Henry, Peter Misiewicz and Ryan Bruce.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4RbUNr_0wChGM3U00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4RbUNr_0wChGM3U00" width="631" height="368" ><figcaption>University of Alabama Team 1 handiwork.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0dgYDF_0wChGM3U00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0dgYDF_0wChGM3U00" width="501" height="298" ><figcaption>N.C. State team, from left: Sam Valmassoi, Taylor Brodbeck, Allison Ebbert and Mohammad Qambar.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0NwGsR_0wChGM3U00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0NwGsR_0wChGM3U00" width="501" height="301" ><figcaption>Tindall Corp. fabricated their specimen with an ultra-high performance concrete mix. Destructive testing confirmed the material and engineering scheme’s robust nature.</figcaption></figure></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

N.C. State, Lehigh, Alabama teams measure up to PCI Big Beam

A North Carolina State University student team, guided by faculty advisor Gregory Lucier and member producer Tindall Corp., took the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute 2024 Engineering Design Competition. Now in its 24th and better known as Big Beam, the event challenges college or university students to fabricate and test 20-ft. structural members. Teams are judged on their beam’s load-resisting performance in tests that simulate real-world building or infrastructure conditions; quality of analyses and reports; and, project overview videos.