Editor's note: Read about how the students prepared and see their slide show.

A team of UC Davis students has won first place in the national finals of the Student Steel Bridge Competition, held over the Memorial Day weekend at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla.

In the competition, student teams have to design, fabricate and build a one-tenth scale model of a steel bridge, using the same expertise and techniques as professional engineers. They then have to assemble their bridges against the clock. Judges award points based on whether the bridge meets requirements for strength, lightness and construction speed, and also for design, appearance and efficiency.

Team members estimate that they have spent upwards of 3,000 person-hours working on the project, but it's been well worth it.

"It's the experience from building and designing, and the people that you meet on the way," said Elizabeth Rider, an undergraduate in civil engineering and one of this year's team captains.

Forty-four teams from around the U.S. took part in this year's national final. The UC Davis team qualified for the national finals by winning the mid-Pacific regional competition held at California State University, Sacramento, in April. This is the second consecutive year that the UC Davis team has reached the national finals: in 2004, they finished in fifth place.

The annual competition is sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The UC Davis team received support from local construction companies and ASCE sections, the College of Engineering and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.