U-M CEE Students to Compete in ASCE Timber Strong Design Build Competition
Participating teams are required to design and build a structure that is durable, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing.
In 2025, U-M Civil & Environmental Engineering students are coming together for the first time to form a team for the ASCE Timber Strong Design Build Competition (Timber Strong). The competition tasks student teams with designing and building an artistically creative 2-story wood light-framed building. Like other student teams, such as those for the steel bridge and concrete canoe competitions, the Timber Strong team brings together engineering students with a passion for innovation, creativity and competition, facilitating problem solving and out-of-the-box thinking. What’s more, the competition helps students gain hands-on experience in various aspects of structural engineering while gaining exposure to management and building practices used in the construction industry. With one year under their belt, the team is looking forward to expanding and continuing to compete in 2026. While an engineering-focused competition, U-M’s team remains open to all interested students.
Participating teams are required to design and build a structure that is durable, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing. Structures must also have:
- A maximum height of 12 feet.
- Openings for at least three windows on the first floor.
- A second-level floor opening.
- A second floor that is cantilevered 12 inches in one direction.
- A second level with framed openings for four windows (one per wall).
Along with the official guidelines, students must also prepare a project budget and apply Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety guidelines to their plan. Mirroring real-world conditions, structures must demonstrate a continuous load path for both gravity and wind loads. All of these factors contribute to the team’s final score in the competition.
All ASCE chapters have the opportunity to compete in student symposia competitions. 2025’s Eastern Great Lakes symposium will be held at Michigan Technological University in April. Symposia take place in the spring and include competitions, professional and personal development opportunities, and networking. After the symposia, select teams may advance to ASCE regional and national competition finals.
“We’re really looking forward to finishing this upcoming season and continuing to compete,” said founding U-M team member Koby Stewart. “We hope that as we continue to succeed, the U-M Timber Strong team can become a staple CEE student competition team.”
Right now, the team has finished their calculations to ensure the structure will be sound and have moved on to procuring materials to begin construction. Once construction plans are finalized and the build is complete, the team will transport their tools and materials to the competition site and race against other teams to construct the building following their construction plans. The team receives funding directly from ASCE and relies on their own fundraising efforts to finance their materials, travel and other expenses.
“We are proud to join other civil and environmental engineering programs in ASCE’s Timber Strong Design Competition,” said Timber Strong faculty advisor and CEE Lecturer David Kelly, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE. “This team has done amazing work so far, and we look forward to seeing them compete.”
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Mason Hinawi
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