It may be a peculiar sight for those studying at Instituto Superior Técnico for the first time this year. Still, it’s already the third time that the Civil Engineering Students’ Organisation (Fórum Civil) has built a bridge of beer crates in the North Garden, at Alameda campus. Since September 30, when it was inaugurated, it has been possible to walk under the five-metre-high, seven-span structure, made up of around 600 beer crates arranged in an arch. The structure’s construction is part of the ‘Under Construction’ event organised by Fórum Civil.

António Pinheiro, head of the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, described the event as ‘emblematic’ and thanked the Fórum  Civil for their commitment. ‘It’s important that you show you are good students and can do these things,’ he said, praising the fact that those involved dedicate their time to carry out these initiatives.

António Sousa Gago, the coordinator of this construction, highlighted the ‘mobilisation and enthusiasm of the Fórum Civil students’, which he considers ‘very important’ and must be encouraged. He also recalled that this is the third – and largest – of three solutions designed for the bridge (the other two were implemented in the last two years).

‘It’s a good way to show that Técnico isn’t just about studying’, says Sérgio Horzov, coordinator of the Civil Forum team involved in the construction. The third-year Civil Engineering student emphasises the social component of the initiative – ‘innovative activities bring students closer together’.

The beer crates were provided by Central de Cervejas e Bebidas, the same company that had also supplied the material in the previous years. The structure will be dismantled on 4 October, the last day of the ‘Under Construction’ activities.