Ames, Iowa–Four teams of construction engineering students from Iowa State University placed first in the 17th 
Annual Associated Schools of Construction Region IV Student Competition held October 28–31 in Nebraska City, Nebraska. This was the first sweep ever of all four divisions (commercial, design-build, heavy-civil, and residential) by one university.
Twenty-nine teams (six students per team) representing 13 universities from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota competed. Over the past eight years, Iowa State teams have placed first 17 times.
Each team had 18 hours and the use of six computers and four printers to develop a comprehensive proposal in response to a mock request for proposals. In addition the design-build team produced 10 architectural design computer drawings and built a computer-generated three-dimensional model of the project. Upon completion of their proposals, each team gave 20-minute presentations in support of their proposal to a group of industry judges who were involved in construction of the actual projects. Ten minutes of questions and answers followed each presentation.
The commercial team responded to a mock request for proposals for a $5.7 million project for the AKSARBEN VILLAGE Office Building 5 Core and Shell. The 37,011-square-foot building is the future home office for the DLR Group in Omaha, Nebraska, which is also the design architect for the project. Project requirements included a LEED gold certification. The winning commercial team members are seniors Matt Karns (team captain), Austin Davis, Nate Stevenson, and Luke Daugherty; and sophomores Tyler Kumm and Kathryn Kern.
The design-build team responded to a mock request for the Armed Forces Reserve Training Facility and Field Equipment Shop in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a guaranteed maximum price of $65,243,231. The project consisted of approximately 120,000 gross square feet of classrooms, administrative areas, assembly hall, kitchen, simulator rooms, weapon vaults, and medical suites designed to support the training of the four Colorado Armed Forces Reserve branches. This project also included a 50,000-gross-square-foot field equipment shop with offices and maintenance work bays for military vehicles. The facility and site had to qualify for a LEED silver rating. The winning design-build team members are seniors Angela Rohde (team captain), Peter Kataras, and Jimmy Hilton; juniors Rob Cotan and Anthony Brown; and architecture senior Beau Artist. The design-build team has won the first-place award 11 out of the last 12 years.
The heavy-civil team responded to a mock request for proposals for the $11.1 million Sandy River Conduit Relocation in Portland, Oregon. The project involved the excavation of a tunnel 105 feet below ground level (beneath the Sandy River) for two six-foot-diameter conduits, which carry 80% of Portland’s water supply. The project also involved a 30-foot and two nine-foot-diameter vertical shafts for access. Heavy-civil team members are seniors Tanner Wilks (team captain) and Nick Roberts; juniors Scott Hoskins, Ryan Noteboom, and Andrew Trible; and sophomore Cole Van Ryswyk.
The residential team responded to a mock request for the Ridgemoor Estates residential development located in western Omaha, Nebraska. They submitted a development proposal to a lending institution to request financing to develop 315 single-family homes on 78 acres of land. The proposal included a market analysis, marketing plan, site plan, schedule, construction estimates, and financial pro forma. The winning residential team members are senior Blake Pratt; juniors Mike Pokorney (team captain), Dave Warning, and Branton Smith; and sophomores Wes Hazelett and Rachel Rottinghaus.
Larry Cormicle, a 1978 construction engineering alum and faculty member in civil, construction, and environmental engineering, coached all four teams prior to and during the competition.
Contact:
Larry W. Cormicle, civil, construction, and environmental engineering, 515 294-8299, cormicle@iastate.edu