Sweet MidPac Setup

From MidPac Website:

There is a lot of buzz right now at UNR about this competition for various reasons. For starters, UNR Steel Bridge has not been a regular fixture in the Mid-Pacific Conference since the early 1990s and UNR has finally put together a Steel Bridge Team that is entirely capable of bringing the bridge back to Nevada. An even bigger reason for the buzz lies in the fact that UNR has taken large steps to make this the BEST steel bridge competition in the history of the Mid-Pacific Region.

The UNR Steel Bridge Captain has joined the Mid-Pac Committee to help oversee the hosting and we are working with UNLV as a co-host for this particular competition. The reason we are teaming together is that UNLV is the National Steel Bridge Competition host for 2009 and they are required to host a competition before they can run Nationals. Unfortunately, their region is being hosted in Hawaii and it is very costly to get the equipment there.

UNR also wanted to use digital equipment to measure the displacements on the bridge to increase accuracy. By having UNLV as a co-host we should have all of the digital equipment needed. Our bridge captain and Mid-Pac Chair are working with UNLV's team to get them up here to oversee the competition. Together, we will organize the event and then on the day of event our bridge captain will be uninvolved to keep the competition fair and partial.

Another exciting development is that for the first time in recent history, the Steel Bridge competition will be hosted in an indoor arena! Lawlor Event Center, home of the UNR Wolf-Pack Basketball Team, will be the location for the entire competition. This is exciting because the wooden basketball court is removable and below it is a concrete floor. This venue allows for a great building surface in a controlled environment. There is no chance of weather impeding on the event!


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And, last but not least, UNR will be host to the University of Hormozgan, Iran Steel Bridge team! This team was invited by the Mid-Pac 2009 Committee to be a guest participant. While the team cannot place regionally or move on to the National Competition, they can participate and meet other engineers. This is a once in a lifetime experience for all who are involved and we ask that all the participants and spectators make them feel welcome!

The UNR Mid-Pac Committee can't wait to see all of you at the event. Have fun welding and we will see you in April!