UF will host the 2008 National Student Steel Bridge Competition this weekend at the O'Connell Center.
The competition, which is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, is sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The UF steel-bridge team is one of 42 civil engineer teams from various universities vying for first place in the weekend competition.
James Fall, the competition's director and a UF civil engineering student, said he and his team started preparing for the event two years ago.
The judges will evaluate each bridge's lightness, aesthetics, economy, efficiency, stiffness and construction speed on Saturday.
Kyle McLamore, UF engineering junior, is one of eight students competing this year. McLamore said his group has been working nonstop for 10 months on its steel bridge.
In preparation for the weekend, his team has begun work on assembling the bridge, he said.
The competition is based on how quickly everything is put together, he said.
Fall said UF's team put in a tremendous amount of time getting ready for the event.
"It's going to be amazing," he said.
