The 16th National College Student Structural Design Competition, Jilin Provincial Division, and the 13th Jilin Province College Student Structural Design Competition were held from July 15 to 17, 2023, at the Air Force Aviation University. A total of 37 teams from 14 universities, including Jilin University, Northeast Electric Power University, and Yanbian University, participated in this competition. After three days of on-site model construction lasting 16 hours, all three teams from Jilin University completed their model fabrication tasks. Following intense loading tests, the "Starlight Team," consisting of students Yu Mengze, Liu Rui, and Zhao Yang, under the guidance of instructors Zhu Shan and Zheng Shaopeng from the College of Construction Engineering, won the Special Prize. The "Civil Engineering Team," composed of students Tang Yuxuan, Hou Junru, and Yang Jinwen, and the "Riding a Donkey Team," consisting of students Xue Hao, Zou Shuai, and Lv Tinglin, both won First Prizes!
This year's structural design competition required participants to design and fabricate a two-span, four-lane bridge structure that could withstand moving loads on the deck and impact loads on the piers. The competition at Jilin University took place between March and May, involving preparation activities such as model testing, Q&A sessions, and trial loading before entering the competition phase. Following preliminary and final rounds of selection based on model quality, load capacity, and other comprehensive scores, a total of three First Prizes, four Second Prizes, and fourteen Third Prizes were awarded in the university competition (the list of winners is attached as Appendix 1). Based on this, three outstanding teams were selected to represent Jilin University in the provincial competition.
The National College Student Structural Design Competition is one of the nine major discipline competitions for college students established by the Ministry of Education. The competition adheres to the principle of "cultivating high-level engineers for the future educational system," broadening students' scientific horizons, fostering their innovative awareness and cooperative spirit, and enhancing their capabilities in innovative design, comprehensive technology, and engineering practice. It is reported that the National College Student Structural Design Competition is a high-level event included in the list of student competitions by the Chinese Society of Higher Education, with over six hundred colleges participating each year. It is regarded as the highest-level and most influential comprehensive discipline competition in the civil engineering field, often referred to as the "most brilliant jewel in the crown of civil engineering."
