The Institution of Structural Engineers Caribbean Regional Group (IStructE CRG) host its 14th annual
Secondary School Design and Build Competition on Saturday 25th January 2018 at the UWI, St Augustine
Campus. This year, twenty-three secondary schools across Trinidad are scheduled to attend.
A maximum of six (6) students per school was challenged to design and build a tower within three (3)
hours using 30 sheets of Express Newspaper and scotch tape. The constructed tower should have a height
of 350mm and be capable of supporting at least 0.4kg of mass. The winning team’s tower would have the
best strength to height product.
The aim of the design competition was to foster an interest in science and engineering and to promote
structural engineering as a career. By using sustainable material (paper) mainly the “Trinidad Express Newspaper” and limiting the quantities, students are introduced to sustainable engineering which focuses on carefully utilizing available resources to allow for future generations to meet their own needs.
Structural Engineers make sure that buildings and bridges are stable and strong enough to withstand natural forces such as hurricanes and earthquakes. The Institution of Structural Engineers is the world’s largest professional body dedicated to the art and science of structural engineering.
