2007 UMKC Steel Bridge

The Final Stats for the 2007 Bridge.



Mid-Continent Regional Competition (Lawrence, KS)

• Construction Speed - 1st (6.76 min. OUCH! those penalties hurt.)


• Lightness - 5th (258 lbs, Might want to mix in a salad.)


• Display - 2nd


• Stiffness - 1st (.35", Very impressive if we don't say so ourselves.)


• Economy - 1st


• Efficiency - 2nd (By 3 lbs, Why did we waste our time with that clear coat?)

• Overall - 1st (Can you say "Repeat"?)

Who doesn't love steel bridge competition in a closet, errrrrr... Knights of Columbus Building, the wood paneling, 70's Sconces, and 8' drop ceilings just added to the ambiance of Lawrence.

We performed admirably at Regionals, minus one "Nutsplosion", and showed off some unbelievable athleticism (those that were there know what we're talking about, but we were never concerned... Right, Captain?). Questionable judging was everywhere, a firm command of the rules and clarifications was certainly rewarded. Why can't we get the same group of judges every year?

There was certainly room for improvement on our part especially in the weight and penalty departments.

2007 NSSBC (Northridge, CA)

• Construction Speed - 20th (5.72 min. Almost flawless, except for one drop by yours truly. Wait, ah crap didn't push that ridiculous centerline piece all the way down (what the hell is that thing doing anyways) 50 lbs. later all hopes of a top ten finish were dashed.)


• Lightness - 33rd (316 lbs - 50 lbs (Weight Penalty) = 266 lbs, What? Our once overweight bridge is now morbidly obese. This after we spent a month shaving 14 lbs. in the shop, if all the scales in California read like the NSSBC's, it's no wonder Californians have self esteem issues).


• Display - 27th (Embrace the rust it is your friend)


• Stiffness - 19th (.82", A bad load case and a month more of construction combine to hurt the stiffness a bit).


• Economy - 15th (Not bad considering the bridge type and the number of beams in front of us).


• Efficiency - 29th

Well an unlucky day went from bad to worse to terrible. In a year when lightness was certainly rewarded (9 out of top 10 Overall were in the top ten in lightness), we were way to heavy compounded by the weight penalty and it all adds up to a disappointing finish to an otherwise quality year. Plenty of lessons were learned and we're looking forward to capitalizing next year on another year of knowledge.