Civil engineering students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities offered by the University, College, and Department. Participation in such activities can greatly enhance students' overall college experience. The University has over 500 student organizations covering a very wide range of activities and interests. A list of all UH Student Organizations is available at the UH Get Involved site. A list of Engineering Student Organizations is available on the College’s website.
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering houses student chapters of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Concrete Institute (ACI). ASCE represents more than 150,000 members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. All civil engineering students are strongly encouraged to join the UH Student Chapter of ASCE (UH ASCE).
UH ASCE undertakes various projects to further student exposure to the civil engineering profession. Guest speakers representing different aspects of engineering practice are invited to give presentations at chapter meetings. The chapter also participates in regional and national conferences and assists in various volunteer efforts.
The UH ASCE student chapter participates in competitions against ASCE student chapters from other universities, including the ASCE/AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition and the ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition. In the Steel Bridge Competition, the students design and fabricate a steel bridge meeting specific geometry and loading requirements and then compete against other universities in timed construction. The bridges are judged based on construction speed, weight, aesthetics, stiffness, construction economy, structural efficiency, and overall performance.
In the ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition, the students design and construct a concrete canoe, and then race their canoe against other universities. In the Concrete Canoe Competition, the students are judged based on a paper/presentation about their canoe project, the finished canoe product, and the results of the concrete canoe races.