RWU Heavy Civil team takes first place in ASC competition.

CIRI supported team adds to string of success in its category.

In mid-November, the Roger Williams University Heavy Civil team was awarded first place in the 2024 Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 1 competition in Albany, NY. It is the latest in a long series of achievements by the RWU students competing in the Heavy Civil and other categories. CIRI provides travel support for the Roger Williams University Heavy Civil Competition Team, which is led by Dr. Amine Ghanem Ph.D., P.E., PMP and Keith Catanzaro, who are respectively Professor and Adjunct Professor of Construction Management at RWU.

The award-winning RWU Heavy Civil competition team (l to r): Zack Pierce, Josiah Daniel, leader Dr. Amine Ghanem, Sal Cicale, Brendan Donovan, Molly York and Cam Testa.

An intensive exercise in real-world problem solving.

Hosted by Flatiron Construction of Colorado, the Heavy Civil competition’s problem statement involved the Rodanthe Road Bridge which spans 2.5 miles over Pamlico Sound in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The team’s assignment, acting as subcontractor to Flatiron the GC, was to construct the northern end approach, as well as the last six spans that connected into the main portion of the bridge.

Dr. Ghanem speaking at the Fall Dinner.

Components of the exercise included a full bid estimate, project schedule, approach to construction (including site logistics and crane pick plans), and safety and risk mitigation plans — all while acting as a real company submitting an RFP to a client.

The two-day competition culminated in a client meeting with the judges, during which the RWU Heavy Civil team presented its entire approach to the project. Following the owner’s meeting presentation, Flatiron hosted a problem statement breakdown where the team explained how they went about the project, including the real cost and duration.