Northern Arizona Wins PCI Big Beam Competition

Northern Arizona University won the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute’s (PCI) 2025 Big Beam Competition, a nationwide challenge that encourages college students to demonstrate excellence in structural design, teamwork, and innovation using precast, prestressed concrete.

The winning Northern Arizona University team was led by faculty advisor Ben Dymond with support from PCI producer TPAC. Team members include Payton Correia, Zachary Fukumoto, Isabella Velasco, and Caitlin Yazzie.

“The PCI Big Beam Competition has provided me with an invaluable, hands-on introduction to civil engineering that I would not have gained elsewhere,” said winning team member Caitlin Yazzie. “I’m grateful for this opportunity. The skills and insights I’ve gained will have a lasting impact on both my academic and professional journey.”

Teams of students and a faculty advisor design, build, and test a 20-foot, precast, prestressed concrete beam. Local PCI-certified precast concrete producers mentor and fabricate the beams for the teams. Entries are judged on a variety of criteria, including the beam’s load-resisting performance in tests that simulate real-life conditions structural building and infrastructure components must endure to ensure life safety, as well as the quality of their analysis and reports, and a video overview of their project.

“Now in its 25th year, the Big Beam Competition continues to be a cornerstone of PCI’s commitment to education and innovation,” said PCI President and CEO Bob Risser. “It’s inspiring to see the next generation of

engineers tackle real-world challenges with such creativity and technical skill. These students represent the future of our industry.”

ALP Supply and ASPIRE magazine sponsored the 2025 Big Beam competition.