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2024 D.V. Terrell Competition
For additional information on the DV Terrell Competition: https://regions.asce.org/region4/dv-terrell-paper-competition
Tennessee Section Tennessee Engineers' Conference
The TN Section joined with ACEC of TN and TSPE for the 2023 Tennessee Engineers’ Conference a few weeks ago and nearly 700 were in attendance, including approximately 90 students and faculty advisors from 9 of our 10 student chapters. The students had a morning of great presentations to hear from and then competed against each other in games to stretch their engineering building skills. Lipscomb University took 1st place, followed by Tennessee State University, and then Vanderbilt University. New Section officers were also installed, Brian Reynolds was thanked for his 6 years as a Governor, and Branch officers will be installed in October.
Region 4 History & Heritage Committee
On May 1, 1927, workers employed by the American Bridge Company began construction of a new and revolutionary suspension bridge that would span the Ohio River. This new span would link the towns of Point Pleasant, WV and Gallipolis, OH. Little more than a year later, on May 18, 1928, traffic began flowing across the newly erected structure.
For nearly 40 years, this bridge, considered in its day to have been an engineering marvel, would safely shepherd traffic from one side of the Ohio to the other. So routine in the daily lives of many people, it would soon come to be taken almost for granted. However, the events of December 15, 1967 would forever shatter any previous sense of complacency. The failure of this once beloved local icon would forever scar the memories of survivors and witnesses alike. Yet, it would also serve as the catalyst that would usher in a new era of safety awareness and construction innovations. In response to this catastrophe, Congress established National Bridge Inspection Standards. These standards created a rigorous nationwide bridge safety inspection program to detect unsafe structural conditions, prevent future tragedies, and save countless lives.
However, the loss of 46 lives, coupled with the spectacular images that were flashed around the world, has ensured that its name will remain forever etched alongside other historic synonyms for “Disaster.” More than 50 years later, we still feel a sense of awe and sadness when we hear the name.
Silver Bridge