Clemson students win national Construction Management Competition

A team of Clemson University construction science and management majors, coached by Assistant Professor Vivek Sharma, took first place in the Associated Builders and Contractors 2024 Construction Management Competition.

Sharma and the team of Brian Bell, Willam Dapp, Alexa DeCarlo, Alexander Ewing, Krista Fullerton, Austin Mader, Jasia Mikulich, Matthew Owings, Andy Plyler and Charlie Rohaley received their award at the 2024 ABC Convention in Orlando, March 13-15.

“The skills they learned during this process are helping them achieve their construction career dreams. I look forward to seeing the contributions these young leaders will make in the industry throughout their careers,” 2024 National Chair of the ABC Board of Directors Buddy Henley said in a release.

Clemson’s team posted the highest cumulative points in the competition’s five categories, and they placed in the top three in four categories: estimating, project management, quality control and overall. Clemson’s students topped 25 teams from colleges and universities from across the U.S.

“The result of this competition confirms what our industry partners already know: the skill level of Clemson students is second to none,” said Mike Jackson, chair of the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning. “Congratulations to our students and Dr. Sharma on a job well done.”

Finding real-world solutions

According to Associated Builders and Contractors, the competition required each team to find management solutions to the same real-world construction project. This year’s competition project centered on new construction and renovation work at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center, a more than 60-year-old campus near Florida’s Atlantic coast.

The request for proposal (RFP) for the competition project forced students to find solutions for an array of challenges that included the demolition and construction of both a pool and a building, grandstand renovations, parking lot improvements and a proposed 27-meter-high dive tower – which would be the tallest in the western hemisphere.

“The competition project required our students to demonstrate mastery of project management, estimating, QA/QC and safety and display creative thinking,” Sharma said. “I’m very proud of how they rose to the challenge and represented our program and Clemson University on a national stage.”