A team of students from Saint Louis University’s American Society of Civil Engineers chapter will construct a bridge made entirely out of canned goods as part of Operation Food Search’s first CANstruction event, according to an April 9 announcement. The event is scheduled for Sunday, April 12, at Plaza Frontenac and aims to support efforts against food insecurity.
The initiative brings together five teams—comprising architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and students—to use more than 20,000 unopened cans to create large sculptures. All cans used in the builds will be donated after the exhibition concludes on April 24 to help feed families in the St. Louis region.
Sophomore Aureous Ifabiyi-Chope and junior Kelly Tuong designed Saint Louis University’s entry—a six-foot-tall structure called “The Eats Bridge,” inspired by the Eads Bridge—and will be joined by three other members during Build Day. Ifabiyi-Chope said he came to SLU for hands-on engineering opportunities: “Civil engineering has a large impact in mundane ways people don’t think about,” Ifabiyi-Chope said. “Roads and highways are everywhere.”
CANstruction St. Louis features structures such as Arcturis’s “Chef Octopus,” Casco/Dierbergs/Paric’s “Ode to Mo-Bot,” HOK’s “‘We Can-Do It’ Rosie,” Integrate Construction Partners/Lawrence Group/New+Found’s “The Jewel Box,” and Saint Louis University’s student-designed bridge. The SLU team is the only all-student group participating this year.
Judges will evaluate entries based on originality, structural ingenuity, use of labels, and number of cans used; a People’s Choice Award will also be determined by public vote via QR code at Plaza Frontenac. Visitors can view the sculptures during mall hours between April 12 and April 24.
St. Louis University supports community engagement through service programs addressing social needs according to its official website. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate programs as well as over 100 graduate and professional options according to its official website. SLU also extends its educational reach with a campus in Madrid, Spain according to its official website, maintains a tradition of Jesuit education emphasizing care for the whole person according to its official website, and pursues truth for the greater glory of God while serving humanity according to its official website.
