SES-VIII Inter-University Competition 2023 makes a comeback

SES-VIII held at MPH in UTAR Sungai Long Campus

The UTAR Structural Earthquake Stability 8.0 (SES-VIII) Inter-University Competition 2023 took place at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 8 July 2023. It was jointly organised by The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) Student Section, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Student Chapter, and UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Department of Civil Engineering. The event showcased the incredible talent and ingenuity of 19 teams from universities across Malaysia, such as University of Malaya, UCSI University, Inti International University, Manipal International University, SEGI University, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Universiti Tenaga Nasional and UTAR.

SES-VIII was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorships of NS BlueScope Lysaght Malaysia Sdn Bhd and IJM Corporation Berhad, whose support and commitment to fostering engineering excellence played a crucial role in the success of the competition.

Present at the opening ceremony were UTAR LKC FES Dean Assoc Prof Ts Dr Yap Wun She, LKC FES Deputy Dean for R&D and Postgraduate Programmes Assoc Prof Ir Dr Ling Lloyd, LKC FES Department of Civil Engineering Head Ir Ts Dr Yip Chun Chieh, LKC FES academics Dr Ong Chuan Fang and Ts Dr Chin Ren Jie, NS Bluescope Lysaght Malaysia Sdn Bhd Technical and Design Manager Suraya Johari, ICE Malaysia Vice Chairperson Evan Ho, ICE Malaysia Secretary David Lim, IEM Membership Drive and Promotion Ir Allan Chwee Yew Lun and Organising Chairperson Yong Ling.

From right: Dr Ong, Dr Yip, Dr Ling, Dr Yap, Suraya Johari, Allan Cheww, Evan Ho and Yong Ling

Dr Yap said, “In the previous iterations of this esteemed competition, I had the privilege of witnessing remarkable structures and intricately-crafted building models brought to life by talented students hailing from diverse universities. The dedication and unwavering effort invested by these individuals in perfecting intricate details, designing innovative concepts, and meticulously selecting appropriate materials were truly evident in their outstanding work.”

Yong Ling (most left) presenting souvenirs to Dr Yap (left photo) and Suraya Johari (right photo)

Group photo at the opening ceremony

After the opening ceremony of the event, the participants began to demonstrate their skills and knowledge by constructing a structure on the spot within a three and a half-hour timeframe, utilising materials provided by the organisers.

Venue of the competition

Pre-competition venue entry protocol: Essential Checks

Participants focused on building up their structures

The real test awaited as the structures underwent a rigorous earthquake simulation, with each team’s construction work being sent to the lab for testing. The testing process involved seven levels, with each level being evaluated for a duration of 45 seconds. The judges carefully assessed the performance of the structures after the test, comparing and contrasting the impressive work. The entire competition process was live-streamed via Zoom at MPH, showcasing the innovation, teamwork, and engineering prowess of these talented teams as they subjected their creations to the ultimate stability test.

Team represetatives presenting their contructed work and idea to judges

Enthusiastic volunteers inspecting participants’ impressive creations

Captivated participants observe the rigorous testing in the MPH (left), while dedicated volunteers carefully place the constructed works on the table for evaluation

The purpose of the SES competition was to fulfill the objective of mitigating future losses and protecting both human society and the individuals residing in Malaysia, as emphasised by Dr Yip during his speech at the closing ceremony. The competition aimed to achieve this objective by promoting the acquisition of civil engineering knowledge and addressing the devastating consequences of seismic disasters.

 

Dr Yip delivering his closing speech

After the presentation of tokens of appreciation to the judges, the winners were announced. Special award winners were awarded RM300; consolation prize winners received RM400; second and first runner-ups received RM1,100 and RM1,400 respectively. The champion walked away with RM1,800. One of the UTAR teams “The Rumbling” won the Best Poster and Presentation Team award, while another UTAR team “Runtuh lah” won the first runner-up prize. UTAR is proud of their great achievements. The list of the award winners is as follows:

Award	Team	University
Champion	Soh Expensive	Inti International University
1st Runner-up	Runtuh lah	UTAR
2nd Runner-up	Ninja Bros	Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur
Consolation	Tremor Titan	SEGi University
	Geo Pro	Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Best Skybridge Team	Rumble Team	Manipal International University
Best Poster and Presentation Team	The Rumbling	UTAR
Most Cost and Time Efficient Team	Bombayah	Universiti Malaya

UTAR Team “Runtuh lah” winning first Runner-up in the competition. From left: Dr Yip, Chong Kai Wen, Loh Kwok Onn, Ng Kai Wei, Chan Sin Hoong, Tang Jing Hui and Suraya Johari

UTAR Team “The Rumbling” won the Best Poster and Presentation Team award. From left: Soh You Hui,  Tey Yee Chean, Lim Sian Ping, Dixon Liew Zhen Yi, Teo Jun Hao and Evan Ho

The winning teams

Group photo at the closing ceremony