Guayabitos 2021

The Summer of 2021 demonstrated the most challenging bridge build yet for our club here at Virginia Tech. Working with Notre Dame our students were able to complete the design, construction planning, and cost analysis of the 63.0 meter bridge over the Rio Pojo. This crossing was previously difficult or impossible to pass for 300 days of the year. The bridge has impacted the communities of Guayabitos and Salto La Vina an immeasurable amount by allowing them to cut off 1.5 - 6 hours of commute time to the nearest city. This will drastically increase their access to schools, markets, medicine, and much much more.

Unfortunately our students were unable to travel again due to COVID-19, however the Engineers In Action Field Staff was able to complete the construction based off our collaborative project documents with Notre Dame. Lastly to thank our amazing sponsor Dunbar Structural (formerly DMWPV) for making this bridge build possible and for staying committed throughout the complex pandemic situation.

Villa Florida 2020

Villa Florida was the assigned site in Bolivia for travel in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Our chapter had the privilege to partner with students’ chapters from the University of

Toronto, University College London, and the University of Iowa. The process executed

to travel to Bolivia consisted of frequent contact with other student chapters, intricate

planning using the “review call” format, and accurate design checks with various

certified engineers from each school in contact. After thorough checks with all gathered

information on the Villa Florida site with elders and EIA staff the teams were set to

travel and construct the bridge on site.

Due to COVID-19, the planned travelers could not participate in onsite construction but

were instead able to safely participate in all construction aspects of the project virtually.

Despite unexpected changes in summer plans, EIA, as a national organization, made it

possible for students to experience the entire on-campus bridge design and preparation

process. The team worked diligently throughout the semester to produce a full, efficient

design and learned invaluable lessons regarding design methodology, teamwork, and

construction planning. The bridge was safely and successfully constructed in October

2020 by the EIA staff available. A Huge thank you to our amazing sponsors who stuck with us throughout the entire process - CBG Building Company, C.W. Strittmatter Inc, and Whiting Turner- it was your patience and dedication to the cause that made this bridge possible. The bridge crosses the Rio Paracaya river, which was previously impassable 90 days/year. This successful build provides greater access to the communities of Villa Florida, Waña Cagua, and La Villa, ultimately serving 250 residents.

Siatha 2019

Students members David Urbaez and Eddie Roll served on the bridge construction site in 2019, embarking on a 6-week trip to the small remote village of Siatha in Bolivia. About 10 hours north of La Paz, Siatha is only accessible by a single dirt road that winds through mountains of the Yungas Region, following the stunning yet dangerous Rio Camata.

Together with the community, they worked from 8am till dark around 6pm, walking either five minutes, or hiking thirty minutes through a precarious jungle to reach the work site each day. The Rio Camata river was too dangerous to cross even during the dry season, and the team set up a cable car to transport materials across the river.

Despite numerous challenges that arose throughout the project – lack of any phone connection, material delivery setbacks, loss of masons, etc. – the team persevered and constructed an 82-meter pedestrian footbridge. By the end, the community had fully embraced the team, and was immensely grateful for the completed bridge that connected many of the community members’ farms and homes directly to a medical center, which was situated along the main road next to the local school.