Maria Margarida Barriga, Mariana Gameiro and Eduardo Rodrigues, finalists in the Master’s programme in Civil Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico, are the winners of the 2024 edition of the International Civil Engineering Competition. They achieved the title in Romania, between 14 and 21 July, during a final competition at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Politehnica University Timişoara. The event was organised by the International Association of Civil Engineering Students (IACES) in Timisoara, with the support of civil engineering companies.

The first test, Geotechnics, involved preparing two specimens, one consisted of sand, bentonite and water while the other consisted of sand, cement and water. The test required choosing the appropriate proportions of these mixtures. The specimens were then subjected to compression testing and scored based on the results.

In the second test, related to Construction and Sustainability, the participants had to prepare a public presentation on the application of circular economy principles to civil engineering and the city of Timisoara.

In the last test, on Structures, the students built a small-scale model of a building using skewers. The model was then tested on a seismic table, with criteria including aesthetics, technical explanation, structure weight, and the maximum frequency before collapse. The tests were supervised by professors from the local faculty.

The team was joined by Rafael Francisco, representing Fórum Civil, a Students’ Organisation at Técnico, which covered the travel expenses to Timisoara and the event registration fee. The other competing teams in the final were from Portugal (Porto), Greece, Hungary, Serbia, Turkey, Germany, Romania and Mexico.