Introducing and Demonstrating Earthquake Engineering Research in Schools (IDEERS), held since 2001, is an international competition to promote students’ interest in the design and construction of seismic-resistant building models using easily available and low cost materials such as MDF (medium density fibre) boards/ strips, glues, rubber bands, papers and cotton strings. These models are required to withstand the simulated earthquake forces generated by a shaking table. The competition also aims to generate students’ interests in the field of structural engineering and disaster mitigation.
This year’s competition from 16th to 21st September 2015 was held at the National Centre for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) in Taipei, Taiwan and jointly organized by British Council, National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL), National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) and Asia-Pacific Network of Centers for Earthquake Engineering Research (ANCER).
Team SP, consisting of eight students from courses of Diploma in Civil Engineering with Business and Diploma in Architecture led by Rudy Ang, from the School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Singapore Polytechnic, participated in the competition under the Undergraduate Category.
A Day Trip visit to various sites relating to earthquake engineering opened up the students’ horizons where they witnessed and understood the devastation of earthquakes and how engineering design can help to mitigate the damages through proper building designs. A Welcome Banquet organised by the host also provided an opportunity for the students to interact with their foreign counterparts.
SP participated in the Undergraduate Category of the competition together with a total of 42 teams from universities of Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Team SP ranked 4th (awarded the Efficiency Ratio Certificate of Excellent for being Top 10) and was also awarded the Certificate of Quake-Resistant.
