Associated Schools of Construction Region 5

Competition Rules

ASC Region 5 Student Competition Rules

Purpose:

To establish detailed procedures and guidelines for implementation of the ASC Region 5 Student Competition.

Governance:

The competition governance team shall consist of the ASC competition coordinator and the Host representative as appointed by their respective organizations. The team’s responsibility shall be to:

  • Identify the problem sponsors for the competition and awards.
  • Establish criteria for problem sponsor selection.
  • Establish criteria for sponsor awards to the top three teams in each division.
  • Assist the problem sponsors as necessary to assure a successful competition.
  • Approve sponsor selection and the appointment of judges.
  • Ensure compliance with the competition rules and timeline.

Divisions:

There shall be four competition divisions: Commercial Building, Concrete Solutions, Design/Build (Undergraduate, Open Graduate and Open International categories), and Heavy Civil. Each division shall have a competition problem developed by a problem sponsor. Each regional member may provide one team to compete in each division. The Open International Design/Build host team may be provided by any ASC regional member school. One ASC host member school may sponsor more than one International team. The ASC host member school must have at least three students on the international team. In the event that less than three international teams compete, the Open Design/Build categories may be merged with the Design/Build competition. THERE WILL BE NO RESTRICTION ON THE OUTCOMES OF THE MERGING OF DESIGN/BUILD COMPETITIONS.

Sponsors:

Problem sponsors shall be selected by the competition governance team. Problem sponsors shall conform to these General Rules and Guidelines as posted on this ASC Region 5 website <ASCweb.org>. Problem sponsors may develop the competition problems and judging criteria for their competition division providing they do not conflict with these General Rules and Guidelines. A general scoring matrix for each competition will be provided two months before the competition. The general scoring matrix will include at a minimum the percentage the sponsors will score the proposal and presentation. The presentation scoring cannot exceed 30 percent of the total score. Sponsors will submit the RFP to the competition coordinator for their respective division one week before the competition for content review and feedback.

  • Sponsors shall be provided from within the membership of the Host.
  • Sponsors shall provide a three-year commitment to problem management.
    • Year One: Provide a representative to participate in the competition process as a learning process
    • Years Two & Three: Development and administration of competition
  • Sponsors shall be solely responsible for determinations as to the responsiveness of a submission and whether an extension is acceptable.

Judges:

Problem sponsors shall select the judges and provide judges from multiple universities to limit any bias. Judges shall be restricted from having direct access to competitors before or during the competitions. The ASC competition coordinator shall be informed of the judges in advance of the competition to confirm judges have knowledge and access to competition information, and should ensure that the judges are fully aware of the competition process, rules, and criteria. It is preferable that judges are owner personnel but regardless, judges are expected to assume the role of the client and score proposal packages as defined in the competition problem package.

Coaches:

Each regional member shall designate one coach who shall accompany and represent each team at the regional competition. Coaches shall be University Personnel, either faculty or Staff. In the case of the Open International divisions; teams shall designate one host coach representing the U.S. based ASC school and one guest coach representing the International school will be permitted. The coach’s job prior to the beginning of the competition is to encourage and support their team in any way deemed appropriate that ensures a teaching and learning environment is achieved. However, once the competition begins with the delivery of the problem, the coach’s role is limited to ensuring the competition rules have been followed. Coaches shall be able to communicate with their teams concerning business or logistics not related to the competition problem. After the beginning of the competition coaches shall not help teams with practice presentations or offer any critique of a team’s problem solution.

Teams:

The following criteria shall apply to all teams:

  • Each participating program shall sponsor no more than one team for each competition consisting of not more than six undergraduate student members per team. Graduate students can only participate in the open graduate student category. There will be no alternates involved with the team in any way after the competition begins. A team member may only be on one team.
  • All team members shall have been enrolled in an ASC member construction curriculum as on a full-time basis unless they are in their graduating semester at the time of the Regional competition or are representing an international construction program. (Exception for Design/Build category teams: Two members of this team may be full time design students from any other program.)
  • To encourage regional competition growth and outreach, teams or team members external to Region 5 may compete and win the regional competition in which they are competing. International programs may join with any ASC member program to complete a competition team’s membership in the Open International competition divisions. Mixed International teams must have at least 50% of the required student team membership from the International program. For the International Design-Build teams, every effort should be made to have one design student and two construction program students from each of the programs. A U.S. based ASC school may host more than one international team.
  • A team member can be replaced before the start of the problem-solving period. Any or all members of a team may be carried over from previous years.
  • ASC member schools will pay a $100 entry fee for each team competing in the competition. The first entry fee for new members to ASC Region 5 will be waived. Entry fees are to be deposited into the Region 5 Bank Account.

Problems:

The competition problems shall be generated from real projects that are good examples of the project delivery system proposed. Care should be taken that the problem conforms to these rules and guidelines. Problems shall be written that clearly define the expected deliverables and whom the presenters shall be addressing. Division rules are identified in the Appendix.

  • Teams choose their own name and related logo or graphics.
  • School colors and logos are permissible in proposal packets and presentations.
  • All team members are expected to contribute to the problem solution.
  • There shall be no outside assistance from any group, individual, association, contractor, or other outside entity unless provided for within the competition problem provided by the problem sponsors.
  • Web access is permitted as long as no dialog takes place with anyone outside the team unless prohibited within the competition problem provided by the problem sponsors.

Competition:

The competition problems should be provided at the beginning of the 16 hour problem-solving period. Starting at 8:00 am ending at 12:00 am. Participants are expected to follow the rules on the honor system listed in the Code of Conduct, so that policing is not required. However, spot checks shall be done periodically, mostly to ensure that everything is running smoothly. Any questions or problems should be reported to the ASC competition coordinator. The sponsor will decide if it is appropriate to accept late submissions and any appropriate penalties.

  • Prior to the competition, any registered students of the participating program may support the team in any way they deem appropriate.
  • From the moment the problems are opened until the presentation, no one other than the six team members can participate in solving the problem. The teams should be isolated from other students and coaches as much as practical.
  • Initial contact between the problem sponsor judges and teams may happen up to two weeks in advance to confirm software requirements or to issue an initial Request for Qualifications. No work may be due prior to the Friday of the competition weekend.
  • Teams are allowed to use whatever equipment and publications they bring to the competition site, unless forbidden by the problem sponsor within the problem documents.
  • Internet access is permitted as long as no dialog takes place with anyone outside the team unless prohibited within the competition problem provided by the problem sponsors. Access or no access is up to the discretion of the competition sponsor.
  • The competitions should be structured in the following format:
    • Teams shall work on the problem at any remote location on Saturday, must attend the Sunday evening sponsor meeting. Presentations, judging and awards presentation shall be on Monday.
    • Team members may leave their rooms and go anywhere at any time as long as they adhere to the honor system.
    • Violation of any of the competition’s general rules and/or a violation of a sponsor’s problem rules and requirements will affect an immediate review and judgment. Upon the report of a rules violation the Competition Coordinator shall immediately convene a review committee comprised of the coordinator, the problem sponsor’s representative, and a current competition coach selected by the coordinator. The committee shall first hear the complaint and then determine if probable cause exists that a violation has indeed occurred by a majority vote of the assembled committee. The committee shall call the violating team’s coach into the committee meeting to inform the coach of the violation and provide the coach an opportunity to defend the team’s actions. In closed session the committee shall deliberate their findings and issue a final judgment which could range from problem score reduction through disqualification. Judgments shall be made that will be considerate of the educational value to the competition, university program, competing team and its membership. The communication of the judgment should insure that the privacy of the team and coach is protected as much as possible.

Proposals/Bids:

Team proposal packages should include only the information necessary to explain the team’s solution to the problem. Each team should limit the amount of fictitious information in their submission, but within some RFPs they may need to build a fictitious company and employee proforma. The amount of fictitious material will be up to the category of competition, the sponsors, and the RFP criteria.

Presentations/Reviews:

No team member may be present in the presentation/review room or in the near vicinity prior to their school’s presentation/review. If a school has a representative in or near the presentation room prior to their school’s presentation, that person(s) will be asked to remain in the presentation room and not communicate with their school’s team in any way. Faculty representatives and guests should avoid conversations about performances during breaks. No member of the audience is permitted to coach a team based on previous presentations/review. Coaches and registered team alternates/observers may observe their own team’s presentation. Teams and Coaches may not observe another Team’s presentation or reviews. A door monitor will be assigned to ensure that the presentation room is locked down, to prevent observer traffic, during any and all presentations.

  • One computer, one computer projection device, several easels, and one flip chart are allowed for the presentations. The TEXO office has a projection screen, an overhead projector, and a flip chart with an easel for presenter use. Presentation materials may enhance, explain and clarify proposal packages. They may not alter information presented in their proposal package. Each team member must speak during the presentation. Team presentations must adhere to the allowed time frame. At the end of the presentation period, the timekeeper shall stop the presentation. At the end of the question and answer period, teams shall be allowed to finish answering the current question.
  • The order in which the school makes their presentation shall be randomly selected for the Commercial, Concrete Solutions,  and Design-Build Divisions based upon low bid (revealed Sunday night) for the Heavy Civil Division, prior to the presentation period. Presentation scheduling shall depend upon the number of entries and the needs of the problem sponsors.
  • Team presentation times may vary from year to year and are dependent upon the number of competing teams and the time available for presentations. The following time allotments are provided as a best case option:
  • Each school’s presentation shall be allowed a total of 35 minutes. All six members of the team must speak a minimum of two (2) minutes. Of the thirty-five (35) minutes, five (5) minutes at the start for setup, twenty (20) minutes for team presentation, five (5) minutes for question and answers, and five (5) minutes at the end for breakdown. Team presentations must adhere to the schedule. A timer will indicate the end of the initial presentation and the beginning of the question and answer period.

A debriefing shall be held, as directed by the schedule, after the judging is finished. This shall be done by the judges and shall take place in the presentation room. Teams are required to attend. The purpose is to enhance the learning experience for the students. This debriefing should focus on giving students feedback of a general nature on the proposals. Such as: what the judges liked best and least, issues that were not addressed and should have been, for Commercial Building and Heavy Civil, the actual cost and schedule. For Design/Build, what differentiated the actual Design/Builder’s proposal from his competitors? Copies of the actual proposals would be useful.

Awards Banquet:

On Monday evening, after the competition, a banquet honoring those participating in the competition shall be held. At this time, the Host recognizes and presents the winning team of each division with a certificate and a plaque for the school. First place shall receive $1000. Second place shall receive $750.00. Third place receives $500.00. Best Speaker Awards are also given for the top three speakers in each category.

Appendix (Individual Division Rules):

Commercial Building Competition

  • The project selected should be primarily a building and may be public or private in nature. The problem should involve the application of all manner of project planning.
  • The problem chosen for the competition should require each team to demonstrate skills in the following main categories: written proposal and compliance with proposal request, scheduling/problem solving, plan of construction as well as quality assurance and logic analysis and methodology, cost estimate/pricing, and risk management.

Concrete Solutions Competition

  • A Request for Qualifications will be issued one week prior to the competition work day.
  • The project selected should be primarily a new or existing concrete structure; including but not limited to: cores, slabs, walls, and exterior concrete and performed as a subcontractor. The problem should involve the application of all manner of project planning, including a Statement of Qualifications, Takeoff estimate sheets, Written proposal, Construction pour sequence schedule and a presentation/interview.
  • The problem chosen for the competition should require each team to demonstrate skills in the following main categories: written proposal and compliance with proposal request, scheduling/problem solving, plan of construction as well as quality assurance and logic analysis and methodology, cost estimate/pricing, and risk management.

Design/Build Competition (Undergraduate Region 5 Only)

  • The project selected by the sponsor should be primarily a building and may be public or private in nature. Design/Build procurement is clearly distinct from all other delivery methods. At the core of the Design/Build process is the concept of interdisciplinary team effort to innovative problem solving. It is intended for designers and constructors to collaborate from the onset, providing any and all services necessary to prepare a strategic response to a Design/Build solicitation. The team may operate as a fully integrated firm, a partnership, or an association, and can be either constructor or designer led. Unlike the traditional delivery methods where price is the predominant selection criteria, the Design/Build process should be more concerned with the creation of “best value.”
    • The problem chosen for the competition should require each team to demonstrate knowledge and skills in the design/build process including design process and design management, design phase cost analysis, value management, scheduling and construction planning.
    • The RFP should incorporate a realistic and complete program using performance criteria wherever possible. Deliverables should be clearly articulated and appropriate for a preliminary Design/Build proposal.
      • It should be noted that it has been the norm to state that each team has already been short-listed on the basis of responses to a RFQ.
      • The preparation of a real Design/Build proposal requires considerable research and interaction with the site and client. The sponsors should either create a mechanism to interact with the teams in the role of clients or a mechanism for the teams to document decisions made on hypothetical communications with the client and others. In the latter case, the judges would have to carefully evaluate the proposals based on the assumptions each team made rather than on what undisclosed real conditions were.

Open Design/Build Competition (Graduate Students)

  • Using the same problem and format as the undergraduate design-build category, this category is open for participants from any region. The team must consist of graduate students.

Open International Design/Build Competition

  • The Design/Build process is the concept of interdisciplinary team effort to innovative problem solving. It is intended for designers and constructors to collaborate from the onset, providing any and all services necessary to prepare a strategic response to a Design/Build solicitation. The team may operate as a fully integrated firm, a partnership, or an association, and can be either constructor or designer led. Unlike the traditional delivery methods where price is the predominant selection criteria, the Design/Build process should be more concerned with the creation of “best value.”
    • The problem chosen for the competition should require each team to demonstrate knowledge and skills in the design/build process including design process and design management, design phase cost analysis, value management, scheduling and construction planning.
    • The RFP should incorporate a realistic and complete program using performance criteria wherever possible. Deliverables should be clearly articulated and appropriate for a preliminary Design/Build proposal.
    • It should be noted that it has been the norm to state that each team has already been short-listed on the basis of responses to a RFQ.
    • The preparation of a real Design/Build proposal requires considerable research and interaction with the site and client. The sponsors should either create a mechanism to interact with the teams in the role of clients or a mechanism for the teams to document decisions made on hypothetical communications with the client and others. In the latter case, the judges would have to carefully evaluate the proposals based on the assumptions each team made rather than on what undisclosed real conditions were.
    • The Open International DB Competition problem is not required to be located in the United States. If the problem is international, the sponsor should notify the teams of the country and the type of project in early December.
    • The response to the International RFP should be based on the regulatory procedures in the country where the problem has been set.

Heavy Civil Competition

  • The problem should involve the application of scheduling techniques, excavation, pre-stressed concrete placement, asphalt paving, utilities, traffic control, and conventional concrete for a heavy civil project. The successful team should be required to demonstrate: full knowledge of the plans and specifications, problem solving and method analysis, technical ability, cost analysis and communication skills.
  • The problem chosen for the competition should require each team and team member to demonstrate skills in the following main categories: quantity take-off, scheduling, cost estimate and pricing, contract questions, and written bid format. A maximum of 30 percent of the scoring can be allocated to the presentation.
  • The oral defense environment shall emulate a typical bid review, discussion among fellow company employees and senior management.

Improvisation Competition

This division was added for students to practice and improve presentation skills. Three judges will independently score the students and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will be awarded at the Awards Ceremony. Students are judged on the following with each section worth 10 points for a possible total of 40:

  • Organization: The speech should have an opening, body, and conclusion
  • Effectiveness: Did the speaker connect with the audience?
  • Gestures and Body Language: Speech should be supported with gestures and expressions that emphasize and clarify
  • Vocal Delivery: A clear voice with a variety of tone and volume

For the Improvisation Competition, the time will be used as follows:

  • 1 minute for introductions and question; question will be shared on the computer screen and read out loud by the TEXO Foundation Committee Member
  • 1 minute for the student to collect thoughts and quietly prepare
  • 4 minutes for the student’s speech
  • 2 minutes for judge feedback
  • 1 minute for the student to ask judges for pointers

Modified at the Region 5 Faculty Meeting October 2023