Civil engineering students earn place in national competition
NMSU 2009 GeoChallenge Team
(From left to right): Ryan Fairbank, Raquel Barrera, Eric Swartz, Kathiresu Sivarooban
Four NMSU civil engineering students recently took first place for their technical report submitted to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Geo-Challenge Student Competition. As a result, they were invited to compete in the national Geo-Challenge competition in March in Orlando, Fl.
The NMSU team, composed of undergraduate students Raquel Barrera, Ryan Fairbank, Eric Swartz, graduate student Kathiresu Sivarooban, and civil engineering Associate Professor Paola Bandini, the team’s faculty adviser, were selected to compete in the national geotechnical competition after being chosen as one of the top five teams.
The team submitted a technical report with the details of their design and testing of construction of a scaled-down earth reinforced wall. Six judges evaluated the reports and ranked the teams. NMSU was ranked number one based on the technical report.
“We were ecstatic with the results and it was a new learning experience for all of us,” team captain Eric Swartz said.
The top five teams each received a $2,000 travel grant from the ASCE to compete in the national geotechnical competition which was held at the International Foundation Conference and Equipment Expo and Geo-Congress.
At the competition, the team constructed a scaled-down model of a mechanically stabilized earth wall in which dry sand reinforced with paper is retained behind a paper wall that has been constructed in a plywood form. They were judged on the wall’s capacity to support a design load and the amount of reinforcement used.
Unfortunately, the team did not win the competition because the gradation and properties of the sand delivered for the contest was different from the sand specified for the competition and on which the students based their design.
“This detail was crucial for the performance of the model walls,” said Paola Bandini, civil engineering associate professor and adviser to the group. “In any case, the students represented our school very well and I am extremely happy and proud of them. They received a certificate of excellence for their participation. We are already planning for the 2010 GeoChallenge in West Palm Beach, FL.
Sarah Campos
May 5, 2009