The Steel Bridge Team at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville proudly earned the prestigious title of first place overall at the 2025 Western Great Lakes Student Steel Bridge Regional Competition, held this month in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—a first for UW-Platteville. The competition is an annual event where student teams design, build and assemble a scale-model steel bridge. Teams are judged on construction speed, bridge weight and load performance. They competed against 15 other teams in the Western Great Lakes Regional Competition.
“This team has truly proven that hard work pays off,” said Dr. Amr El Ragaby, the team’s faculty advisor. “Everyone’s dedication and perseverance in pursuit of excellence were nothing short of phenomenal. They put in hundreds of hours to reach this achievement, and their commitment showed in every step. I couldn’t have been prouder than when advisors from other teams came over to personally congratulate them—with full respect and admiration for what they accomplished.”
UW-Platteville’s remarkable performance included first place in structural efficiency, first place in stiffness, second place in construction economy, third place in construction speed and third place in cost estimates.
“We are incredibly proud to have taken first place overall for UW-Platteville,” exclaimed Max Lenk, a junior from Richland Center, Wisconsin, pursuing a degree in civil engineering with an emphasis in structural engineering. “It's a testament to the countless hours our team puts in, from late-night build practices to overtime hours in the shop. We are thankful for our sponsors and Dr. Ragaby, whose time and guidance have been invaluable. We are excited to represent our university at the national level at Iowa State University and show what we can do!”
As a result of their outstanding achievements, they now advance to the Student Steel Bridge Competition National Finals, set to take place at the end of next month at Iowa State University with around 40 to 45 schools participating.
For more information visit, Steel Bridge Competition.