Academics

Civil engineering students earn second place in construction competition

The Penn State Senior Team of civil engineers won second place in a Construction Cost Estimating Competition. From left: Faculty Adviser Tom Skibinski, Kaden McGregor, Tom Pochatko, Dominic Ammon, Eduardo Ariza, Cory Klems, and Evan Ring, industry adviser from Brayman Construction. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.  — The Penn State Senior Team of civil engineers won second place in a Construction Cost Estimating Competition, sponsored by the Contractors Association of Western Pennsylvania. Five universities attended the competition held Feb. 4-5 in Pittsburgh.

The competition was comprised of two sections spread across two days with each university entering a Senior Team and a Junior Team.

The first day, teams were assigned to complete a realistic bid estimate based on a former Pennsylvania Department of Transportation project. In addition to the estimate, a detailed construction schedule was to be included in the proposal. 

The second day of competition involved a group presentation to a respected panel of judges. Judges were given the opportunity to question each team on their proposal. The competition was then scored based on completion of the bid estimate, the oral presentation and the response to the questionnaire.

The two Penn State teams began preparing for the competition in early December. Students worked with Evan Ring, an estimator for Brayman Construction Corporation, and their faculty adviser, Thomas Skibinski, instructor in civil engineering. Team member Kaden McGregor spoke about the process.

“Evan held a meeting with us every Sunday for around an hour from the start of December until a week before the competition,” said McGregor. “He would cover topics such as scheduling, earthwork and pricing in order to get us familiar with what it takes to bid a job.”

The process provided a realistic insight into the world of an estimator, and the fast-paced, high-stress nature of competition day was an invaluable learning experience for the students who participated.

After submitting their bid and presentation, the Senior Team was optimistic, but the University of Pittsburgh slid into first by less than a point. Although they were initially disappointed, the team was pleased with their second-place finish.

“We had high hopes of winning the competition, but overall I was happy we took home second and were able to represent Penn State well,” said McGregor.

Each team that participated was awarded $500. The Senior Team was given an additional $500 for their second-place win. The Junior Team placed fifth.

Last Updated March 31, 2017

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