JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Clemson University’s inaugural Heavy Civil Team, consisting of Construction Science and Management (CSM) students, recently won top honors at the annual Associated Schools of Construction and Associated General Contractors of America Southeast Regional Student Competition.

The competition, held in Jacksonville, Fla., also featured Auburn University, UNC-Charlotte, Western Carolina University, University of North Florida, Southern Polytechnic State University, University of Florida and Georgia Southern University.

Participants played the bidding team for a heavy civil contractor, with students receiving a problem statement along with bidding and contract documents.

The bid documents that students were charged with completing consisted of a schedule and detailed estimate, answers to questions regarding the project specifications and estimate, a risk/margin analysis and an analysis/description of the best construction methods.

Students were given 13 hours to complete their tasks, setting up in a hotel room to work from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Solutions to the task were due promptly at 8 p.m. and, on the following day, each team presented their solutions to the tasks in the form of an oral presentation. The presentation was set up to simulate an intra-office bid meeting for the bid team and upper management.

Students were unaware what the project would consist of until the competition began at 7 a.m. The project consisted of a steel pedestrian bridge that crosses over I-95 in Miami and was actually already completed by competition sponsor Kiewit. Not only did Kiewit serve as the event’s primary sponsor, representatives of the company with specific knowledge of the project served as consultants and judges for the Heavy Civil Division.

The Clemson University team — consisting of Dominic Giannini, Murray Davis, Eddie Beard, Chris McKee, David Babb and Stewart Lee — spent the first two months of the fall semester preparing for the competition under the guidance of CSM professor and team coach Gregg R. Corley.

As a result of their first place win, the CU Heavy Civil team has qualified to compete in the national competition against six other regional winners. The annual ASC/AGC Student Competition will take place in Las Vegas in March 2008.