Incorporating Concrete Canoe & Steel Bridge Planning Into A Construction Management Course

Many faculty members would agree that to promote the development of communication skills and to establish a well-rounded education, students should be involved not only in classroom instruction but also in extracurricular activities that contribute to these goals. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) annually promotes two programs that directly relate to civil engineering: the ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition and the AISC/ASCE Steel Bridge Competition. The benefits of these programs are obvious to those who have participated. Involved students have an opportunity to learn many aspects of project management, from conceptual design through construction. Previous surveys at Lamar University have shown that students who participated in these competitions perceived their knowledge in several core areas to be greatly enhanced. Significant benefits were derived in the areas of Project Management and Team Building. [2]