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The MTU Timber Strong Team is working hard to prep The MTU Timber Strong Team is working hard to prepare for the ASCE Timber-Strong Design Build Competition. Since the last check with this team, they have turned in all deliverables for their two-story timber structure. 

Fabrication is nearly complete, as seen in the pictures above! During weekly build sessions, they are framing, sheathing, and optimizing the structure in preparation for the upcoming regional competition. They have started completing practice builds, which has been a considerable process, as 4 out of the 6 build team members are new this year. Their goal at competition is to build their structure in 25 minutes!

The Timber Strong team has been doing a great job, so stay updated to see thier hard earned results!

#timberstructures #timberstrong #woodendesign #ascecompetition
Built World Enterprise is structured to get our me Built World Enterprise is structured to get our members into the community and engaging with the CEGE department as much as possible. Preview Day, this Saturday, is a great event for prospective students to see campus and talk with current students! Members are able to volunteer their time to led tours around the CEGE building. There is also the enterprise show case, where many different enterprises show off their achievements!
Here is a much-needed update on the MTU’s WERC Tea Here is a much-needed update on the MTU’s WERC Team progress, as they have made significant progress from the start of this semester. They have been working toward a design that will ultimately be taken to the WERC Environmental Design Contest at New Mexico State University this upcoming April. They are working to raise funds to cover this travel cost, and there will be future information on how to help!

The WERC team, through research and professional contacts have been able to create a retrofit design for the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Cooling Towers in Tonopah AZ. The design includes a 3D Onshape model, material considerations, and a bench scale model in process (which is what these pictures show)!
This is Nick Bushman (on the left), a 4th year who This is Nick Bushman (on the left), a 4th year who is pursuing an Environmental Engineering degree, with a minor in Humanitarian Engineering. He’s in his second year with BWE and has been a very active member of MTU’s Engineerings Without Borders Team! His fellow co-leader of BWE, Kris, is one his right. These two make a great team!

Nick has been to Bolivia with EWB twice, the first time was in August of 2023. The first trip we installed a armored crossing and surveyed the area for future projects. During the second trip in May 2025 the team installed gabion basket retaining walls to prevent seasonal road washouts. 

“I enjoy working with our partner community to design projects that are beneficial.”

Outside of classes, Nick is often collecting rocks on the local beaches, having found a pretty decent yooperlite collection!
Here we have the MTU Steel Bridge Team continuing Here we have the MTU Steel Bridge Team continuing to work on fabricating their 2026 AISC Steel Bridge Competition bridge! More technical details about their current progress will be given below:

Since the Fall semester, the team has made considerable progress, including completing the digital design using Ram Elements and creating a 3D model of the bridge in Onshape. Fabrication has progressed through the fundamental welds, such as stringer and double truss banana connections, which have been completed. Additionally, both spans of the bridge are built and tack-welded.  

The MTU Steel Bridge Team has shifted focus to implementing properly oriented connections to ensure fully assembled rigidity. The build team will soon strive to reach their goal of 60 practice builds before the regional competition.

#steelbridge #mtusteelbridge #mtuhuskies
It’s always an honor to get to show off the full B It’s always an honor to get to show off the full Built World Enterprise team! BWE relies on members that are willing and capable of going above and beyond during their undergraduate degree. This semester we have 35+ high achieving students as members, who all add a diverse set of skills/knowledge to this enterprise. Each person in this picture are also kind, compassionate, and outstanding individuals. 

On a personal note: getting to know these members has reassured me about the future of construction management, environmental, civil, and geospatial engineering! I hope to continue collaborating with these future professionals and others who match the standard they have set.
Join current BWE members of the team for a fun eve Join current BWE members of the team for a fun event this upcoming Thursday 02/26! There will be pizza for any visitors, and member from each BWE team will be in attendance to answer any questions!
 
#bwe #enterprise #pizza #freefood #mtufoodandsocial
Troy Pape is a 3rd year here at MTU and he is majo Troy Pape is a 3rd year here at MTU and he is majoring in Civil Engineering. This is his first year in BWE and has been a great addtion! He is part of the MTU Concrete Canoe team where they: “make a 20 foot canoe made entirely from concrete (Yes it floats, and yes we race it!)” He has upped his involvement this year by taking on the role of Concrete Canoe Mix Design Lead. 

 “I enjoy the critical thinking and teamwork that stems from Concrete canoe and BWE”

Outside of this entprise and team project, he is involved in many other student orginaztions on campus. Beyond his eduational prusuits he enjoys simple pleasures like playing guitar hero on the Wii!
Join members of the BWE team this Thursday for Ent Join members of the BWE team this Thursday for Enterprise Day 2026! This is an opportunity to explore the ALL different enterprises MTU has to offer. 

It’s from 6:00-8:00 PM, with a plenty of time to go and ask different teams questions and learn about their current projects. It is open to all students, we hope to see you stop by! 
#mtu #mtuenterprise
This is Izzy Endsley’s 4th year of college and her This is Izzy Endsley’s 4th year of college and her first here at Michigan Tech. She is majoring in Environmental Engineering and is a particparting in the MTU WERC Environmental Design Contest Team. She has done a fantatic job getting involed within this team as well as BWE events! 
 
“This is my first semester at Tech so being able to get to know more people has been nice. I also enjoy collaborating with my teammates and expanding my knowledge on this years task!”

Outside of enterprise, Izzy is a member of SWE and the Mushing Club here at Tech. When not girlbossing, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and having a pasty at Roy’s!
Built World Enterprise relies on support from our Built World Enterprise relies on support from our wonderful sponsors! This post is dedicated to honoring our general sponsors, who have generously contributed to the overall enterprise. Our individual teams are also supported by other companies/organizations and a list of these can be found on our Sponsor page on the BWE website!
Last Thursday’s class period was dedicated to our Last Thursday’s class period was dedicated to our first Spring 2026 Oral Progress Report! During this time, the senior BWE members presented their current progress on their individual Senior Design Projects. 

This enterprise specific process modifies the traditional MTU Capstone Project path by allowing members to choose their project’s theme, scope, and deliverables. This project structure also reinforces the BWE goal of preparing our members for the self-reliance expected in the workplace: members are expected to have check-ins with our wonderful advisor, Dr. Morse, and address peer questions asked during our Oral Progress Reports.
Liam Silverman is in his 4th year of an Environmen Liam Silverman is in his 4th year of an Environmental Engineering major here at MTU. He has taken on the considerable responsibility of President/BWE Team Lead of Concrete Canoe, and is doing a great job! This is his 3rd semester in BWE:

“I love that BWE gives different teams a space to interact and collaborate and gives us opportunities to form bonds between different project teams.”

When he is not busy with schoolwork or projects, Liam can be found outside collecting rocks, having found copper, agates, and other rare minerals here in the UP! After camping up in High Rock Bay or the surrounding area, he highly recommends: 

“Go with some friends and set up a tent at what feels like the edge of the world. The stars are amazing, and if you’re lucky, the northern lights are the best you’ll ever see.”
Last Thursday, during our class time, there was a Last Thursday, during our class time, there was a special presentation from Dr. Yousef Darestani about professional/technical report writing. As our individual teams are approaching their report submission deadlines, this BWE class time was dedicated to the effective presentation of graphs and figures. Dr. Darestani is an Assistant Professor for the CEGE department with significant experience in professional level report writing. He ran the class through one of his published reports, offering tips such as: 

High resolution .emf or other vector formats.
Avoiding graphs made through Excel. 
Appropriate figure references.

These types of presentations are just one of the many ways BWE members are prepared for the professional world. Lots of thanks to Dr. Darestani for his time and expertise!
Meet this year’s BWE E-Board and leadership! From Meet this year’s BWE E-Board and leadership! From right to left: 

Joe Dobat (Public Outreach), Connor Noppert (Secretary), Kris Crawford (President), Nathan Metevia (Vice President), John Decator (TA), Chase Jones (Resourse Coordinator), Dr. Audra Morse (Advisor), Jocey Baughman (Digital Relations) 

We meeting weekly to discuss the BWE schedule, tasks, and outcomes. This board is made of members and faculty, allowing for a higher level of involvement! 

#mtuenterprise #mtuleaders
Special shoutout to all of our individual team lea Special shoutout to all of our individual team leaders! They have and will continue to demonstrate to their teams how to be dedicated, organized, and empathetic leaders.

These individuals have taken on a complex and challenging role within their team. To help support them, team leader meetings, such as the one occurring today at 5, are hosted. Led by our Vice President, Nathan Metevia, these meetings allow our leaders to discuss tips for communication and conflict resolution. It also helps the leader refocus on the tasks that prioritize the BWE goal of self-reliance, such as our timesheets and weekly progress reports. 

#mtuleadership #mtuleaders #leader #selfreliance
Built World Enterprise started the Spring 2026 sem Built World Enterprise started the Spring 2026 semester with our first of many weekly meetings in Dillman 214 at 4:00 pm on Thursday. The BWE Leadership welcomed new and old members, whose majors range from Environmental, Civil, Geospatial Engineering, Construction Management, and others! In addition to running through the syllabus and introducing the different teams, BWE’s overarching goal was discussed:

“Prepare Members for the self-reliance expected in the workplace.” 

This goal will carry throughout the semester, as the expectations for BWE members are reflective of those they will face in their future careers. This account will continue to post the ways BWE teams strive to meet our goal, as well as progress on our many wonderful individual teams!
The MTU Timber Strong Team is putting in a lot of The MTU Timber Strong Team is putting in a lot of hours to finalize their design! They are in the thick of the calculations phase, making important and innovative adjustments to their previously designed wooden structures. This structure must be two stories, with windows, a door, and a second-floor cantilever beam. 

The competition this year uniquely requires the team to consider wind loads and calculate a budget for man-hours. 

At this point in the year, the Timber Strong Team has finished the first floor design in Revit and is progressing with the second. This semester has also had a significant focus on team building. The team has been working on creating shirts as well as hosting a few events, like a pizza party! 

#mtu #timberstrong #timberstructure #endofsemester #mtudesignn
The Steel Bridge Team at MTU is busy working at pr The Steel Bridge Team at MTU is busy working at progressing toward their ultimate goal: creating an innovative design that fits within the new requirements of the 2026 AISC Steel Bridge Competition! They are doing a fantastic job!
 
The pictures seen above are from the shop sessions the team is holding twice a week. 
The goal of the shop sessions so far has been to give team members a chance to get comfortable using the tools and equipment that we will be using when we start fabricating the bridge. During the past several weeks, members have practiced metal fabrication skills such as cutting, grinding, welding, and setting jigs. Chase, the Steel Bridge Head of Fabrication, has also been leading an assortment of small practice projects! 

On the design end of the spectrum, they have been carefully reviewing the competition rulebook while designing the connections between the bridge’s elements. As well as optimizing the design components within Ram Elements, a 3D model of the bridge in Onshape, and consulting with professional contacts. 

#mtusteelbridge #steelbridge #mtuinnovation #bweenterprise #mtuenterprise #proudteam
The MTU Concrete Canoe Team has had a busy start t The MTU Concrete Canoe Team has had a busy start to their year! Back in October, the team did their annual Sea Trials with two of the past competition canoes. Both boats entered the water again at Sandy Bottom Park in Dollar Bay. 

These trials allow the team to gather strain data for their structural analysis and offer feedback on previous hull designs. Using this data, they can improve the hull design for this upcoming year. 

During this trial, it was determined that last year’s boat was too wide and far too difficult to keep straight. The boat from two years ago was also found to be too difficult to turn. This process allowed the team to decide to shorten the rocker angle and narrow the boat to achieve a middle ground for this year’s design! 

@mtu_concrete_canoe is doing an amazing job! Special thanks to their leader, Liam, who will have a post dedicated to him at the start of next semester!! 

#mtuconcretecanoe #concretecanoe #mtusports #mtuinnovation
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The Michigan Technological University Built World Enterprise is an enterprise program comprised of different majors. The main goal of the team is to address challenges typically solved students who have an interest in designing and building infrastructure and waste management solutions.

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