By Structural Engineering Forum
19 May 2023 – The Structural Engineering Forum (SEF) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) successfully hosted the “Seismic Performance of Building Model” competition on May 18, 2023. A total of 13 teams from 4 different countries participated, including nine undergraduate and four graduate teams. The competition brought together students from Nepal, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Thailand.
The judging panel consisted of three esteemed professors in the field of structural engineering: Professor Pennung Warnitchai, Professor Sutat Leelataviwat, and Professor Virote Boonyapinyo.
Using Balsa wood, the participants constructed building models and simulated earthquake ground motion using the shake table available at the AIT structural engineering laboratory. The teams had the freedom to choose their own geometry, different bracing configurations, and various energy dissipation techniques for their models. The frequency and amplitude of shaking were adjusted until only the last structure remained on the shake table.
Students from different backgrounds demonstrated their knowledge and skills in creating seismic-resistant building models using Balsa wood. In addition, the participants showcased practical implementations of energy-dissipating techniques, enhancing the resilience and ductility of their structures. This competition provided a platform for students to share their talent, improve networking, and strengthen communication skills.
The winning team in the graduate category was “Duct” from AIT, while in the undergraduate category, the winning team was “MU For Health” from Mahidol University. The winners were awarded at the CSI-AIT event “Structural Engineering: Preserving Past, Protecting Present, Building Future” held on May 22, 2023, in Bangkok. Dr. Ashraf Habibullah presented the winning team from the graduate category with 50,000 Baht and the undergraduate team with 30,000 Baht.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Chaitanya Krishna from the Structural Engineering program said, “The competition has acted as a common place for students of several universities to meet and develop a network for their future careers. I hope that this good trend gets passed on and continues in the upcoming batch also.”
