2015-2016

SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Competition Information and Rules

2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Table of Contents
1

Student Design Competition Basic Information................................................................................................... 2

1.1

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 2

1.2

Basics of Competition ...................................................................................................................................... 2

1.3

Stage 1 ............................................................................................................................................................. 2

1.4

Stage 2 ............................................................................................................................................................. 2

General Competition Rules .................................................................................................................................. 3

2.1

School Eligibility ............................................................................................................................................... 3

2.2

Team Size, Makeup and Eligibility ................................................................................................................... 3

2.3

Coaches and Outside Assistance ...................................................................................................................... 3

2.4

Competition Problem Statements and Conditions........................................................................................... 3

Stage 1 .................................................................................................................................................................. 5

3.1

Problem Solution.............................................................................................................................................. 5

3.2

Time Limits ....................................................................................................................................................... 5

3.3

Solution Organization ...................................................................................................................................... 6

3.4

Scoring ............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Stage 2 .................................................................................................................................................................. 8

4.1

Attendance ...................................................................................................................................................... 8

4.2

Equipment ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

4.3

Room Setup ...................................................................................................................................................... 8

4.4

Preparation Time ............................................................................................................................................. 9

4.5

Presentation..................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.6

Attire ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

4.7

Scoring ............................................................................................................................................................. 9

4.8

Questions ......................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.9

Awards ............................................................................................................................................................. 9

Questions ........................................................................................................................................................... 11

5.1

Stage 1 ........................................................................................................................................................... 11

5.2

Stage 2 ........................................................................................................................................................... 11

Competition Timeframe ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Team Information Form ..................................................................................................................................... 13

Statement of Confidentiality and Honor............................................................................................................ 14

Benefits of Participating in the Student Design Competition ............................................................................ 15

2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

1
1.1

Student Design Competition Basic Information

Introduction

The Student Design Competition was introduced in the fall of 2004 and culminated at the 2005 SME Annual Meeting
and Exhibit in Salt Lake City, UT. It is a two-Stage competition involving a technical design Stage and an oral
presentation Stage based on an aggregate mining industry design problem. It was felt that combining these two
categories provided the basis for most engineering work once the students enter the mining industry. In this way
the students can be involved in a real world engineering problem and solution prior to graduation. The teams
will be judged on presentation skills, creativity, understanding of aggregate mining processes, and thoughtful
methodology.

1.2

Basics of Competition

Students majoring in mining and mineral engineering, civil engineering, geology, business, or any other field related
to the aggregate mining industry may compete. The competition can serve as one of the activities for SME and
NSSGA student chapters but will not be limited to those universities sponsoring student chapters. Any university
capable of fielding a team of six undergraduate students is welcome to compete.
The competition will take place in two Stages. The first Stage is an on-campus, set time limit competition during
the fall semester. A faculty advisor, or team coach, will closely monitor each team for rule enforcement and time
worked. The purpose of the first Stage is to simulate an engineering solution prepared for the chief engineer of a
company. Judges selected from the industry will evaluate the written solutions, which will make up 40% of the final
score.
During the second Stage, held at the SME Annual Conference and Expo, each team will receive the competition
problem at the same time and prepare an oral presentation to a panel of judges describing their solution. The
judging panel will also question the team on their solution. The purpose of the second Stage is to simulate a
presentation to a board of directors. The score from the second Stage will reflect 60% of the final score. The top
three high scoring teams (combined Stage 1 and Stage 2 scores) will receive awards for first, second, and third place.

1.3

Stage 1

The first Stage will take place at the individual universities under the guidance of the faculty advisor/team coach.
This Stage may be completed by each team during any 21 day period between the time the problem is given to all
teams and Wednesday, November 25th, 2015. The judging will be completed and the results of the first Stage
announced in January 2016. The teams moving onto Phase 2 will be announced in alphabetical order and the
numerical scores will not be shared with the other teams. Up to six teams will participate in the final round;
however, the Student Design Competition (SDC) Committee reserves the right to adjust this number prior to
announcement of the preliminary round results. In either case, all teams participating in Stage 1 of the competition
should prepare to attend the 2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo in Phoenix, Arizona, for the final Stage.

1.4

Stage 2

The second Stage will be held at the 2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo in Phoenix, Arizona. The competing
teams will be given a problem expanding upon the first Stage problem. The teams will have a set amount of time
to evaluate the problem, formulate a solution, provide for alternative solutions, and prepare an oral presentation
of their design. This evaluation will be given orally to the group of judges drawn from industry who also evaluated
the first round solution submissions. The second Stage score will then be combined with the first Stage score to
select the first, second, and third place finishers.
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2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

2
2.1

General Competition Rules

School Eligibility

Student teams must be enrolled in undergraduate degree programs related to the aggregate mining industry at a
college or university.

2.2

Team Size, Makeup and Eligibility

Each competing team will consist of up to six undergraduate student members of SME who must remain
undergraduate students for the entire competition. Each team member must be a member of SME in good
standing. Contact Mona Vandervoort, Education Coordinator with SME, for assistance with SME membership
registration or questions ([email protected]). Students who have previously been awarded an
undergraduate degree may still compete as long as:
1. The previously awarded degree is not in the mining, mineral, geology, or civil disciplines.
2. They are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program and will remain enrolled through the
entire competition.
3. They obtain written permission from the SDC Committee.
In the event that a team member must drop out of the competition for any reason, the SDC must be notified in
writing by the faculty advisor/coach and include the following: school, team name, individual's name, date,
replacement member (if wanted) and reason the member is withdrawing from the competition. Another
undergraduate student sponsored by the same school may continue in the withdrawn team member's place from
that time on provided that SDC is notified in writing of the change. No more than one replacement per team will
be allowed during each Stage of the competition. The balance of time that remained for the student that is
replaced will be the only time allowed for the new team member to work on the problem solution.

2.3

Coaches and Outside Assistance

Each team shall have a faculty advisor/coach that will monitor the team in Stage 1 and will accompany the team to
Stage 2 of the competition. Once the competition begins, the coach's role is limited to ONLY ensuring the
competition rules are being followed.
During each Stage of the competition, no direct input from anyone outside the team (phones calls, emails, etc.)
shall be allowed after the problem-solving period begins. Passive use of the Internet as a search tool for additional
reference information will be acceptable. Contacting the SDC committee for clarification or for questions is allowed.

2.4

Competition Problem Statements and Conditions

Each team will be presented with the problem statement. These materials represent the entire problem statement
and scope of work. Questions during Stage 1, if any, may ONLY be directed to the SDC, which will determine if there
is an appropriate answer. Questions during Stage 2 will be communicated directly to the SDC committee at the
competition site. It shall be the discretion of the SDC committee whether a response is given to any question. Any
answers to questions during Stage 2 will only be communicated to the team that asks the question.
Each team must strictly adhere to the specific time frames, deadlines, schedules, locations, or conditions set forth
in the problem. There shall be no outside contact or assistance from any group, individual, association, contractor,
or other outside entity. Failure to follow any of these rules may be cause for rejection, reduction in points or even
disqualification from the competition.

2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

During Stage 2, no team or team member may enter the problem presentation room or view a presentation until
after that team has given its presentation. Competition members will not be allowed to ask questions. Violation of
these rules shall be cause for immediate disqualification from the competition. If competition members choose to
watch subsequent presentations, please respect the team presenting and refrain from discussions among audience
members.

2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Stage 1

The SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition will be held in two Stages with the preliminary Stage held on the
respective teams campus and the final Stage held in conjunction with the 2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo.
Competing teams are comprised of up to 6 undergraduate student members of SME and 1 faculty advisor/coach.
In Stage 1, the teams work on campus to provide a written solution to the competition problem provided by
competition officials (referred to from here on as SDC). The teams have 35 hours per student to work a solution to
the problem with the time worked closely monitored by a faculty advisor/team coach approved by SDC. Each team
will have any 21 day period of their choosing from the time the problem is given to the team to the last date available
to work to submit their solution. During that time the faculty advisor and team can schedule the 35 hours whenever
it best fits the students schedules (as long as it occurs within a 21 day period). A panel of judges from SME-member
companies will judge the solutions submitted. There will be no extra credit given for early submissions. The
deadline for submitting the design will be Wednesday, November 25th, 2015, unless an extension is permitted in
writing by the SDC.

3.1

Problem Solution

The solution submitted during this Stage should be as complete as allowed by the time constraints. Although
specific details may not be finalized and designed to a procurement or construction level, enough design must be
conveyed to ensure adequate confidence in the project. Actual design of specific items may be omitted from the
solution as long as an adequate description of the item is presented along with an approach for its resolution (e.g.
it may be sufficient to give generalized design information, for example, a 3.5 yd3 loader might be specified without
detailing the make or model).
The solution should convey enough information to define the mine design, and it should be more detailed than a
simple conceptual design. The presentation of the data should be approached as if the group is handing over the
design to the senior engineer at the company.
While there is no limit on the size of the submitted solution, students are advised that longer reports are not
always better. Keep in mind that the goal of this competition is to simulate a real world engineering problem.
Company leadership, as well as the competition judges, are impressed by a clearly communicated and concise
solution. All information included in the report should provide support to the problem and not provide filler that
is unrelated to your solution.

3.2

Time Limits

Each team may take a total of 35 hours per student to read the problem information, generate a solution, and
create an organized memo stating conclusions and recommendations. The total of 35 hours can be spread out over
a 21 day time period. A recommended distribution of the 35 hours is as follows:

5 hours to read the problem, formulate a plan of attack, and break down into subgroups
20 hours to work the problem, address design issues, and formulate solutions
10 hours to formulate the memo, write detailed descriptions of design solutions, and put finishing touches
on design package.

Once the problem has been distributed to the student team by the on-campus team advisor, the advisor shall
initiate the 21 day time period. During this time, the team shall work in an isolated environment, away from all
people except teammates and the advisor. When the team is not in session, the members cannot work on the

2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

project and cannot discuss ideas and sections of the project. The advisor/coach should keep all competition
documents, paper scraps, computer files, etc. when Stage 1 competition time is not being used.
At the end of the 35 hours (cumulative), the solution and completed memo/letter will be given to the advisor. The
advisor will then submit the solution. Please submit solution in PDF format by one of the following methods: email,
FTP server, or cloud data server (such as Dropbox.com).
Submit electronically to:
Hans Dawson
[email protected]
Each individual team member is limited to 35 hours. That is to say, the time may not be distributed among the
team members in an amount greater than 35 hours. One person cannot work 50 hours while another person
compensates by only working 20 hours to reach an average of 35 hours. It is 35 hours per person. The team does
not have to meet together for 35 consecutive hours, but each person cannot work more than 35 hours
cumulative.
A question regarding this rule was posed at a previous competition and is reprinted below with SDCs answer.
Q: Quote, When the team is not in session the members cannot work on the project and cannot discuss
ideas and sections of the project. Does this mean that one or two members of the team cannot work
within their individual 35 hour limit on their own on some aspect of the project and bring their results to
the full team meeting and does the full team always have to meet together for anything to be done on the
project?
A: Team members, individually or in small groups, may work on their assigned portion of the project at any
time during the 21-day period in which they are within their 35-hour limit. It is not required that the full
team be present at once for any work to be allowed on the project or for the team to be considered "in
session". The quote that you mentioned may be better interpreted as: "When any member of the
competition team is not charging time against their 35-hour work limit, they cannot work on the project
and cannot discuss ideas, sections, or anything related to the project with anyone, including themselves."
For example, if one team member is to work on the mine design, another the processing plant design, and the rest
on other portions of the project, they do not have to work together or even at the same time; however, whatever
time they do work on the project must be documented and count against their 35 hours and must occur within the
21-day work period. Also, if, for example, two team members have an impromptu discussion after a class regarding
the project, they may do so as long as they count their time.

3.3

Solution Organization

The design team should allow ample time in the 35 hours to complete a letter or memo addressed to the project
engineer describing their conclusions and recommendations. All solution materials should be submitted to the SDC
in electronic format (PDF). The report should include all appropriate references and formulas to support the
solution. All backup material/calculations should be included with the submission. The teams should submit their
solution in PDF format by one of the following methods: email, local FTP server, or cloud data server (such as
Dropbox.com). Time is allowed outside of the 35 hour work time for creating and transmitting the PDF.

2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

3.4

Scoring

The student design team will be scored in Stage 1 based on team solution presentation and format, problem
solution, and overall project design. The Stage 1 score counts for 40% of the total score for the competition. The
breakdown for scoring will be as such:

Team Presentation - 15% of Stage 1 score

o

Spelling/Grammar (10/15%)

Neat/Clear/Precise (5/15%)

Problem Solution and Approach 75% of Stage 1 score

o

Accurately supported by equations and references (25/75%)

Correct/Accurate solution (45/75%)

Environmental Aspects
Mechanically Achievable/Simplicity of Design/Fewest Pieces of Additional Equipment
Required
Reserve Calculation
Logically Sequenced Mine Plan
Good Engineering Judgment
Documented Assumptions

Thought process easily understood (5/75%)

Overall Project Design - 10% of Stage 1 score

o

Uniqueness of design/solution and organization

2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Stage 2

Stage 2 will be conducted at the 2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo in Phoenix, Arizona. In this Stage, the
design team will prepare a presentation to support their solution to a given problem and present it to the panel of
judges who will be acting as the Executive Board of the operating company. The team should be prepared to answer
questions about their design solution to the Board who will have previously reviewed and judged the individual
teams written solutions from the first Stage. The specific problem that the design team will have to solve and
present will be given to the teams on Friday afternoon/evening prior to the 2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo.
They will then have until a pre-determined time on the following Sunday morning to work on their solutions and
presentations. Each team will then be given approximately 45 minutes in which they will make their presentations.
The order in which the presentations will occur will be randomly selected.

4.1

Attendance

After the results of Stage 1 are announced in January, each of the top six teams will receive an Attendance
Confirmation Form. This form must be completed and returned to the SDC by the date specified in order to confirm
your participation in Stage 2. If your team does not submit the form before the deadline, SDC will assume that your
team is unable to attend the competition and will open your spot to the next highest-scoring team.
Each team participating in Stage 2 must physically be present during the competition; no team will be allowed to
give their presentation via Skype or any other video/audio conferencing device. Also, it is strongly suggested that
teams stay at hotels within walking distance to their Stage 2 workrooms.
Teams attending Stage 2 are required to be student members of SME and register for the 2016 SME Annual
Conference and Expo. Each team participating in Stage 2 will be completely responsible for all travel arrangements
to and from Phoenix, living arrangements while in Phoenix, and conference registration for the 2016 SME Annual
Conference and Expo. The SDC is not responsible for any of this planning or cost.

4.2

Equipment

A maximum of one computer per participant, and one printer, one plotter, and one scanner per team is allowed.
All copying, printing, and scanning will be up to the individual teams. Each team should allow ample time to make
any required copies. Delays caused by copy room personnel or equipment will not be considered by the judges as
an acceptable excuse. If access to the Internet is required then it will be up to the individual teams to ensure that
they have the proper equipment to do so. Access to the Internet will not be provided by the SDC, but can be
arranged independently through the hotel conference center. If availability of internet is questionable, the SDC will
determine the appropriate alternative.
A computer projection device will be supplied by the SDC for team presentations. The teams should provide their
own computer. The SDC will not provide internet access for the presentations. Furthermore, any additional
equipment required for a presentation should be coordinated through the competition coordinator. There may be
additional charges for internet access or additional presentation room set up. These charges must be paid in
advance by the requesting team.

4.3

Room Setup

The SDC will furnish a work room for each team with enough tables and chairs for each member of the team. Ample
workspace is available in each work room for two extra tables (possibly three) and chairs. Work tables and chairs
may be rented at the Hotel for use during the competition. Table rental fees, with security deposits, must be paid
in advance. Whatever equipment and publications brought to the work rooms are the responsibility of the
individual team. Furniture in the work rooms must remain during the competition.
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2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

4.4

Preparation Time

The design team will have from the time the problem is distributed on Friday afternoon/evening until the teams
specified presentation time on Sunday morning to work on their solution/presentation. The presentations will
begin Sunday morning (exact schedule will be determined closer to the meeting/exhibit time). The team will be
expected to prepare for the presentation in their work room. The advisor and SDC personnel will supervise this
Stage.

4.5

Presentation

Each design team should be prepared to give a 15-minute presentation with up to a 30-minute question and answer
period immediately following the presentation. The teams can give their presentations in any media they desire,
whether by MS PowerPoint, MS Word, overhead projections, hard copies, etc. All team members should be active
in the presentation process, with no less than half the team talking during the main presentation (if there is an odd
number of people in a team, round up).

4.6

Attire

The design team should wear at least business casual clothing during the presentation.

4.7

Scoring

The student design team will be scored in Stage 2 based on Presentation, Solution, and Question/Answer Session.
The Stage 2 score counts for 60% of the total score for the competition. The breakdown for Stage 2 scoring will be
as follows:

4.8

Presentation (50% of Stage 2 score)

o

Visual Displays (10/50%)

Speaking Skills (10/50%)

Team member participation (10/50%)

Quality of Presentation (20/50%)

Solution (30% of Stage 2 score)

Question/Answer Session (20% of Stage 2 score)

Questions

Questions will be posed to the SDC representative on-duty in the Competition HQ which will be open approximately
during business hours. The SDC representative will consult with other members of the SDC and provide an answer
in an appropriate amount of time. The SDC will also determine at that time if the question is material to all groups
or only to the requesting group. Once the answer is determined, the SDC representative will contact the requesting
team and deliver the response. All questions and responses will be logged to maintain consistency between teams.

4.9

Awards

The final score will be determined by a 40/60 combination of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 scores, respectively. Up to six
teams will compete at the competition in 2016; however, the SDC Committee reserves the right to adjust this
number as events develop.

2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three teams, and they are as follows:

First Place:

$2,000, Founders Trophy (1-year term), and Plaque for School

Second Place: $1,500 and Plaque for School

Third Place:

$1,000 and Plaque for School

In addition to the cash prizes, all participating teams will be given a participation award which will depend upon the
donations given by industry. The cash prizes may change as the competition budget is finalized.
The winning team will be awarded the Founders Trophy. That school will have the right to have the trophy on
campus for the year. During January of the following year their victory, the school must ship the trophy back to
SME headquarters. The SDC will coordinate this transfer.

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2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

5
5.1

Questions
Stage 1

Once the team members have been determined and a central point of contact has been established, an e-mail
Tanya
Walkenbach
should
be
sent
to
Hans
Dawson
([email protected]),
([email protected]), and Andrew Storey ([email protected]) listing the team
members, the central point of contact, and the e-mail address for the central point of contact. Questions must be
sent to all three contacts above to ensure a prompt response. Both the question and answer will be forwarded to
all other teams as appropriate.
The committee will review the questions and a response issued if the question is viewed as appropriate. An effort
will be made to answer the questions in a timely manner; however, as all of the teams will be working the problem
on different schedules it will be difficult to provide responses over a continuous 24 hour time period.

5.2

Stage 2

During the second Stage of the competition the SDC will be available during normal business hours to answer
questions by the competing teams. The SDC may decline to answer individual questions during this Stage of the
competition. If the SDC does provide an answer, the question and answer will not be communicated to the other
teams. However, if a team finds an error in the problem or data provided, this information will be communicated
to all teams.
One of the aspects of being an engineer is the ability to make supported assumptions; the teams are encouraged to
do this. As in practice, not all information is provided in detail and requires assumptions to be qualified, and some
extraneous detail may be needed. However, all assumptions should be detailed out and supported.

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2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Competition Timeframe

The 2015-2016 Student Design Competition is scheduled as follows:

SDC Committee Submits Stage 1 Problem to Competing Teams

09/14/2015

Last Day to Submit Stage 1 Problem Solutions to SDC Committee

11/25/2015

Results of Stage 1 Presented to Teams

At the latest 01/08/2016

Stage 2 Begins

02/19/2016

Stage 2 Presentations and Awards

02/21/2016

2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo

Begins 02/21/2016

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2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Team Information Form

Please complete the following information and return it to the SDC to Hans Dawson, [email protected],as
soon as you receive this packet and prior to starting work on the problem. Use the fillable PDF form and type as
much as possible (except signatures) or write legibly.

School Name: _______________________________________________________

Team Name: _______________________________________________________

Faculty Advisor
Name

Position

E-Mail Address

Name

Degree Area and Year

SME Member #

Name

Degree Area and Year

SME Member #

Name

Degree Area and Year

SME Member #

Name

Degree Area and Year

SME Member #

Name

Degree Area and Year

SME Member #

Name

Degree Area and Year

SME Member #

Team Member
#1
Team Member
#2
Team Member
#3
Team Member
#4
Team Member
#5
Team Member
#6

Team E-mail:

________________________________________________________________________
This address will be used for contact throughout the competition Check Frequently

Team Work Dates: ______________ to ______________

Faculty Advisor Address: ______________________________________________________________

Faculty Advisor Phone:

________________________________________

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2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Statement of Confidentiality and Honor

On my honor, I agree to follow all competition rules. I will not discuss the competition outside of the design team
or outside the hours of competition. I will not seek any outside opinions or assistance during this competition from
anyone, including professors, peers, friends, family, or aggregate/mining professionals. I will not share any
information given in the Problem with persons unaffiliated with the SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition at any
time. I have also read and understand the rules surrounding this competition.
Please complete this form and return to the SDC prior to initiation of problem work. Return to Hans Dawson,
[email protected]. Use the fillable PDF form and type as much as possible (except signatures) or write legibly.
School Name: _______________________________________________________
Team Name: _______________________________________________________
Faculty Advisor
Name

Signature

Name

Signature

Name

Signature

Name

Signature

Name

Signature

Name

Signature

Name

Signature

Team Member #1

Team Member #2

Team Member #3

Team Member #4

Team Member #5

Team Member #6

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2015-2016 SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Benefits of Participating in the Student Design Competition

One of the major benefits of participating in the SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition is being able to show
yourself off to a large list of corporate sponsors. The reason corporations sponsor the event is to have a look at the
future of the mining industry, you!
The SDC would like to give you an opportunity to submit your rsum to the sponsoring companies. The SDC will
create a rsum book to distribute to any company that sponsors the event. If you would like, you can submit your
rsum to Andrew Storey, [email protected],by 02/1/16, so your rsum can be added to the book.

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