Southern Polytechnic State University's steel bridge team has placed sixth in the recent National Student Steel Bridge Competition.

Sponsored annually by the American Institute of Steel Construction and the American Society of Civil Engineers, the competition requires students to design, fabricate and construct a 1/10th scale steel bridge. Teams compete in the national championship by entering steel bridges in regional events. Southern Polytechnic qualified for the national competition by taking second place at the Southeast Regional at Auburn University.

"I am extraordinarily proud of this team and their accomplishments. Each year our students spend hours and hours designing and building a bridge and practicing for competition," said Professor Mike Orlandella, advisor to the organization and a faculty member of SPSU's civil engineering technology department

At the National Student Steel Bridge Competition, participating schools are ranked in the areas of aesthetics, stiffness, structural efficiency, construction speed and construction economy. Clemson University, which hosted the event, won the overall championship.

Teams from Southern Polytechnic have now competed at the national level all 10 years of the competition. This year's team members include Matt Gilstrap, Ryan Mauriello, Johhny McElreath, Rob Phillips, Bradley Parks, Anthony Spagnoli, Kimberly Walker, Andy King and Josh Kersh.

Southern Polytechnic State University offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in the sciences, technologies and engineering, addressing the professional workforce needs of many of the nation's fastest growing fields. Approximately 4,000 students pursue their education in day and evening classes on the Southern Polytechnic campus, which is located some 20 minutes northwest of downtown Atlanta.