Over 500 civil engineering students and faculty from around the world are gathering at Cal Poly this weekend for the 2025 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Civil Engineering Student Championships.
On Saturday, the University Union was host to the Timber-Strong Design-Build, which challenged students to creatively construct a sustainable, two-story structure out of wood in just two hours.
Afterward, students showcased their work to teams from across the United States, Canada, India, and China.
Timber-Strong Design-Build coordinator Mia Wootton told KSBY that the competition gives students a well-rounded understanding of engineering.
"During class, you tend to learn the little pieces— how to design a single beam, how to design a piece of the wall. But this gives students the opportunity to see the bigger picture and put all those skills together to design the entire structure," Wootton said.
The ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships are set to continue on Sunday at Lake Nacimiento, where teams will compete to build concrete canoes and race them across the water.
This year marks the first time that Cal Poly is hosting the championships since 2010.
