Hong Kong students put structural design skills to the test

Civil engineering undergraduate students at the University of Hong Kong tested their structural design abilities at the 2024 Model Building Competition.

The competition, hosted by ICE HKA G&S, saw seven teams build bridge models that could withstand wind loads and static weight.

The teams had three and a half hours to bring their bridge models to life using materials such as balsa wood sticks and fishing line.

The models were then subjected to rigorous testing.

Participants then presented their creations to a panel of judges who are experts in the field of bridge engineering:

• Dr Barry Lee, chief resident engineer at AECOM
• Dr Robin Shum, sector managing director of transportation at Pan-Asia AECOM
• Tommy Szeto, technical director at Mott Macdonald Hong Kong Limited

They evaluated participants’ design concepts and engineering principles.

After the presentations, teams had to conduct wind load testing.

Two rounds of testing at the wind tunnel laboratory ensured the structural integrity and performance of each model were thoroughly evaluated.

The winners were:

• Champion - PolyUBridgeKing from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• First runner-up - WindGuard Architects from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Second runner-up - Master Builders from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Best presentation award - Break ICE Win Wind from the University of Hong Kong

The competition ended with commendations from the judges, who provided constructive feedback and guidance to the participants.

ICE HKA G&S extends its gratitude to the judges for their invaluable contributions to the event.

Special thanks are also extended to Prof Deng Xiaowei and his research team from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Hong Kong for their support in the operations of the wind tunnel throughout the competition.