The Department of Civil Engineering at the School of Engineering in partnership with the AUD’s ASCE Student Chapter held the 9th Annual Wooden Bridge Competition, which saw Sultan Qaboos University’s team take home the first and second place prizes for their outstanding work on building the most Load Efficient Bridges, as well as winning the Target Load Capacity Award.

For the second year in a row, the competition was expanded to include universities from across the Region and GCC who competed in the event to encourage interaction between students and professors. The event, sponsored by the Society of Engineers-UAE and Bentley Software Solutions, saw over 100 students representing 18 teams from 8 different universities competing to create the best wooden bridge design capable of carrying the heaviest load.

"We are very proud to host a regional competition of this magnitude," commented Dr. Songsu Son, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering. “AUD’s ASCE Student Club members worked very hard to ensure a successful competition and welcomed their colleagues from other universities while fostering a true sense of community. Through the design and construction of model bridges, students adopted a great sense of teamwork, gained valuable learning experiences, and were enabled to develop an understanding of non-technical constraints in design and construction,” explained Dr. Son.

“At Society of Engineers-UAE, we strive to promote best engineering practices across the UAE, and one of our key objectives is to support the next generation of engineers. It is our pleasure to sponsor the Wooden Bridge Competition, which encourages students to apply the knowledge gained to a real and entertaining, situation” stated Eng. Tariq Deemas, General Manager.

The Wooden Bridge competition is an annual opportunity providing students with a valuable learning experience which serves as means of translating theoretical knowledge into practical knowledge and an opportunity for students to shine outside the confines of the classroom. Participants included students, staff and faculty from Abu Dhabi University, American University in Dubai, American University of Sharjah, Khalifa University, Manipal University, Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, United Arab Emirates University and University of Nizaw in Oman.

The Society of Engineers-UAE presented the winners of this year's 9th Annual Wooden Bridge Competition Load Efficiency Award cheques for their accomplishments as part of their long-standing partnership and sponsorship of the event. Furthermore, Bentley Software Solutions presented the cheque for the Target Load Capacity Award.