RWU competition team fares well in ASC regional event.

Third-place finish in Heavy Civil category is latest achievement.

Dr. Amine Ghanem (far left) with the 2017 RWU competition team: (L to R) Josh Swanson,
Joe Ficaro, Rich Sleight (captain), Jon Gomes, Liz Anthes and Nick Morrison.

The Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) regional competition is a valuable test of skills and endurance for Construction Management students. Last November, supported by a travel grant from CIRI, the six-student Roger Williams University team earned third-place honors in the Heavy Civil category at the 2017 regional competition in Albany, NY.

The Heavy Civil assignment for the RWU students was to prepare a bid proposal for a section of the Chicago Riverwalk, calling for knowledge in marine construction and quantity takeoffs of concrete, rebar and structural fill. Project requirements included a full estimate, site logistics, job hazard and quality assurance forms, a detailed schedule — a binder summarizing all of the work completed for the competition — and a final presentation on the methods and reasoning used for each portion of the project.

The student team drew on valuable knowledge gained from Heavy Civil courses in the RWU curriculum, along with experience gained during summer internships. This included a recently added Heavy Civil Estimating course, co-taught by Dr. Amine Ghanem, which covers effective creation of crews and production rates, selection of appropriate equipment, and analysis of subcontractor bids.