Design Report; Wood It Be Good?: A Socioethical Analysis of the Implications of Widespread Mass Timber Use in Construction

My technical project and STS research paper are related through their engagement with material selection and structural design in civil engineering, particularly the tension between technical optimization and broader environmental and ethical concerns. The technical project involved designing and constructing a steel bridge for the 2025 ASCE Student Steel Bridge Competition, focusing on structural efficiency, constructability, aesthetics, and adherence to environmental constraints. Simultaneously, my STS research critically assessed the increasing use of mass timber in construction through the lens of virtue ethics, evaluating whether mass timber embodies the virtues of a good construction material, such as strength, sustainability, and aesthetics. While the technical report centers on steel as the primary material, and the STS paper on mass timber, both projects grapple with material properties, design constraints, and their broader societal impacts. The technical report outlines the efforts of our capstone team to design and fabricate a steel bridge that met the strict dimensional, strength, and efficiency requirements of the ASCE competition. The project entailed iterative design using Revit and RAM analysis software to optimize member selection, minimize deflection, and reduce overall weight. We incorporated lessons from previous designs, revised member types, added cross bracing, and practiced fabrication techniques to ensure compliance with competition standards. Despite a disqualification due to time constraints during assembly, the project successfully demonstrated technical rigor and fostered the revival of a Steel Bridge Team at UVA, leaving a sustainable legacy for future students. In the STS research paper, "Wood It Be Good?: A Socioethical Analysis of the Implications of Widespread Mass Timber Use in Construction," I applied virtue ethics to assess mass timber as a construction material. Using Aristotle's framework, I argued that a good construction material must demonstrate virtues such as strength, sustainability, and aesthetic value. Through a case study of the Mjøstårnet building in Norway, I analyzed mass timber's capabilities in structural strength, environmental sustainability, and contribution to a healthier built environment. I concluded that, when sourced and utilized responsibly, mass timber can fulfill these virtues and thus represents a promising pathway for more sustainable construction practices, though careful management is required to avoid unintended ecological consequences. Working on both projects simultaneously offered valuable insight into the multifaceted considerations engineers must balance. The technical work reinforced the importance of practical constraints and material properties in structural design, while the STS research expanded my understanding of the ethical and societal dimensions that accompany material choice. Although my technical project utilized steel due to competition constraints, my STS research prompted reflection on how future civil engineering projects might better align material choices with virtues like sustainability and social well-being. Moving forward, I will integrate ethical and environmental reflection more deeply into my technical decision-making processes, recognizing that engineering excellence requires both technical mastery and socioethical awareness.