As a Chapter of PCI, Student Membership to either FPCA or PCI is completely FREE and grants you access to a myriad of member benefits, including student discount pricing on select texts (like the PCI Design Handbook!) and steep discounts on event registrations.
The FPCA Education Committee works with PCI Education Activities Council in supporting two distinct student competitions designed to expose students of architecture and engineering to real-world examples and uses of precast/prestressed concrete products. Each year, PCI conducts an Engineering Student Competition, known as The Big Beam Competition, and an Architecture student competition. Each student team works with its professor advisor and, in many cases, an FPCA precast/prestressed concrete producer member.
Scholarship
The FPCA Education Foundation is sponsoring scholarships for deserving high school seniors or college students pursuing careers related to the precast, prestressed concrete industry. Precast, prestressed concrete-related careers include professional positions in manufacturing facilities, architectural firms, the specifying community, structural engineering firms and the construction industry. Receive up to $5,500!
Previous Competitions
The PCI Big Beam competition archives are posted on YouTube! View the video entries of previous year’s team by clicking below.
The Judging Committee recently selected the winners of the Engineering Student Design Competition, also known as the Big Beam Contest. PCI’s Student Education Committee organized the Big Beam Contest and assigned the judging committee. The objective is for teams of students to fabricate and test a precast/prestressed concrete beam with the help of local precast concrete PCI Producer Members. Prizes are awarded to the top twenty (20) performers in consideration of efficient design, highest load capacity, and other categories.
2021 Florida Teams
Overall Results:
Fifth place: Florida International University [Team 2]; Miami, Florida
Faculty advisor: David Garber, PhD, PE
PCI producer: Coreslab Structures; Miami, Florida (Luis Compres)
Student team: Victor Fundora, Edward Ortiz, Ma'al Abuhamid, Jonathan El Hajj, Raine Ortuzar, Luke Shafer
Points: 46.75
Award: $1250
Sixth place: Florida International University [Team 1]; Miami, Florida
Faculty advisor: David Garber, PhD, PE
PCI producer: Coreslab Structures; Miami, Florida (Luis Compres)
Student team: Ryan Ocampo, Carlos Sosa Cardenas, Cesar Tapia, Dionisio Jimenez, Eryc Martinez, Leana Lu, Shannon Stever
Points: 32
Award: $1000
2018 Florida Teams
Overall Results:
Fourth place: Florida International University [Team 1]; Miami, FL
Faculty Advisor: David Garber, PhD, PE
FPCA Producer Member: Coreslab Structures (Miami); Medley, FL (Luis Compres)
Student Team Members: Daniel Castillo, Charmaine Emanuels, Ivan Reyes, Fabio Baldini, Andrei Perim
Points: 53.25
Award: $1250
Fourteenth place: Florida International University [Team 2]; Miami, FL
Faculty advisor: David Garber, PhD, PE
FPCA Producer Member: Coreslab Structures (Miami); Medley, FL (Luis Compres)
Student TeamMembers: Mohammed Alalawi, Frandy Manasse, Rozita Mazaheri, Amir Sadeghnejad, Rutambara Sonawane
Points: 43.75
Award: $500
Student Resources
PCI offers numerous resources for engineering and architectural design students. Among these are 2 annual design competitions:
Engineering Student Design Competition (also known as the Big Beam Competition)
Architectural Student Design Competition
More information can be found on the PCI Website.
Student Membership in FPCA and PCI
Student membership to FPCA is absolutely FREE! Click below to fill out an application.
Students wishing to join PCI as a student member can do so by visiting the PCI website.
The student membership application is offered exclusively online and is absolutely FREE!
Membership offers the opportunity to participate in many FPCA & PCI activities, and a free subscription to the PCI Journal.