WASHINGTON, D.C. — Twenty-six teams of undergraduate students from colleges and universities nationwide put their construction project leadership skills to the test during Associated Builders and Contractors’ annual Construction Management Competition, which was held virtually for the first time. The four-person teams, which were assigned to complete the same construction management project, received awards in five categories.

The team from Florida International University won the overall competition, as well as first place in estimating and project management. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville won first place in safety, and Montgomery College won first place in quality control. The University of Cincinnati was named Student Chapter of the Year for outstanding accomplishments in programming, community service, communications/public relations, and interaction with its sponsoring ABC chapter.

“The Construction Management Competition is a great opportunity for our future construction industry leaders to test their skills in real-time,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC’s Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment, and Workforce Development. “Designed to challenge construction knowledge, organization, time management, and presentation skills, every competitor showed diligence, tenacity, and teamwork. We’re excited about the contributions these students will soon make to our industry.”

This annual competition gives the nation’s top construction management students a glimpse into the real world of construction. This year’s project focused on the construction of a new federal courthouse for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, which required the students to plan demolition, construction, and site development.

All participants are active members of the ABC National Student Chapter Network, which connects local ABC chapters to colleges and universities with construction management programs to work toward the ultimate goal of building the talent pipeline and mentoring future leaders of the construction industry.