On the Wednesday of final exam week, the New England region-champion MIT Steel Bridge team headed to Las Vegas for the national competition, where the team placed 18th nationally out of 47 teams.

After the two days of judging ended May 23, the MIT team’s overall score was $2.95 million, about the same as at regionals. First-ranked State University of New York at Canton had a final score $1.94 million. North Dakota State took second-place ranking with a score of $1.95 million and Lakehead University ended in third with $1.98 million.

This is the third year MIT has sent a team to the competition — now in its 22nd year — sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Institute of Steel Construction. Bridges and teams are judged on aesthetics, construction speed, economy, efficiency, lightness and stiffness. The MIT team’s highest scores were in construction speed (15th) and efficiency (16th).

For more information about the team and its members, visit the team blog and view a slideshow from the regional competition.