FARGO (AP) - Civil engineering students from North Dakota State University have won their fifth title in a national bridge-building competition.

The five-member NDSU team returned this week from the National Student Steel Bridge Competition at California State University in Northridge, after beating 42 other schools.

NDSU also won the national contest in 1995, 2002, 2004 and 2006.

"When we come into the competition, we're there to win it," said team co-captain Ben Kuisle.

The object is to produce a steel bridge that is efficient, easy to build and meets size specifications set by the contest rules. The bridge is loaded down with 2,500 pounds. Judges measure how much it bends and how quickly it is assembled.

Scott Harpole, the other NDSU co-captain, said the team worked hard to build a bridge that was as light as possible and could be assembled quickly. The NDSU bridge weighed 107 pounds - 30 pounds less than the next lightest bridge.

The NDSU team assembled the bridge in just under five minutes. It is about 6 feet tall, 19 feet long and more than 4 feet wide.

The University of California-Davis placed second and the University of Wisconsin-Madison placed third in the contest.

The NDSU team attributes its success to the dedication of alumni who pass on their experience to future teams, Harpole said.

Team members spend about 50 hours a week preparing, to make sure they have an edge on the competition. Harpole estimates team members assembled the bridge 75 times to improve their speed.

"We probably put in a lot more hours than most schools do," Kuisle said.

Magdy Abdelrahman, the team's faculty adviser, said the team builds on the previous year's design.

"They deserve the credit, they work hard," said Abdelrahman, an assistant professor of civil engineering and construction.

Other team members who competed are Dave Adams, Lee Winters and Andrew Wrucke. Students Suzanne Schmitz and Tim Durham helped prepare for the contest.

The contest is sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Institute of Steel Construction Inc.