Curtin students put theory into practice during Civil Engineering Week

Miri – 7 November 2013 – Civil and construction engineering students of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) got to put theories learnt in the classroom into practice through various activities during the recent ‘Civil Engineering Week’ at the university.

The activities included ‘Concrete Frisbee’, ‘The Fallen Tower’, ‘Water Purification Challenge’ and ‘Hero or Zero Sports’ competitions, as well as a site visit to the iconic Marina ParkCity development project here.

Organised by the Curtin Civil Society in collaboration with the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering of the university’s School of Engineering and Science, the annual event saw the participation of 50 students.

11 teams of students took part in the ‘Concrete Frisbee Competition’ which required them to build Frisbees from a mixture of materials such as cement, fine sand and fibreglass mesh. The winners were judged on the farthest throw as well as the strength, durability and aesthetics of their concrete Frisbees. The team comprising Ian Chuo Chung Yang, Chow Han Seng and Chin Jiun Yee emerged the champion in the competition.

In the ‘Fallen Tower Competition’, the participants applied their structural engineering knowledge to build structures using simple materials and tested them for strength and durability. Placing first in the competition was the team consisting of Chow Han Seng, Wang Lu Yao and Liew Ng Chee.

In the ‘Water Purification Challenge’, the teams built water filters using various materials such as sand, rock and cotton. The filters were tested using contaminated water and the winners were picked based on water turbidity and colour using a Water Quality Test Machine. One of the winners, Joseph Wong, commented that he put his water engineering knowledge to good use in the challenge.

During their visit to the Marina ParkCity site, the students were also briefed on the construction sequences and techniques by the project’s engineers. Curtin Civil Society president and third-year student Kok Ka Yee said the visit was a good opportunity to see practical and real-life applications of civil and construction engineering theories and principles.

Head of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Dr. Tang Fu Ee, said students of Curtin Sarawak strike a good balance between classroom studies and co-curricular activities in accordance to Curtin’s commitment to providing fulfilling learning experiences and opportunities to learn beyond the classroom.

He added that civil and construction engineering graduates are in great demand and companies often hire them even before they graduate.

“Many of our graduates are doing very well in Malaysia and overseas. Our civil and construction engineering programme provides a strong foundation for our graduates to start careers in the industry,” remarked Dr. Tang.

The students at Marina ParkCity site

Concrete Frisbee Competition’ participants posing with their Frisbees.

Students build strong and durable structures in ‘Fallen Tower Competition’.