Cement manufacturer, Insee Cement has partnered with the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) to launch the INSEE-IESL Concrete Challenge 2017, to boost the engineering skills of university students.
The competition powered by Insee Cement for the fourth consecutive year, will see final year civil engineering students of Moratuwa, Peradeniya, Ruhuna, Jaffna, South Eastern Universities and the Open University, battle head on, creating innovative concrete mix designs.
Three, five-member teams from each university will be chosen by internal competitions conducted by IESL Chapters, and will be eligible to participate in the final competition.
The competition will last three months, with the grand finale on October 12. The winners will be announced at the Techno Sri Lanka 2017 exhibition, the flagship event of the IESL.
Insee Cement is the manufacturer of retail cement products, Insee Sanstha and Insee Mahaweli Marine. The cement type that will be used for this year’s competition will be Insee Extra, a fly-ash blended cement that improves the durability and workability of concrete, leading to a significant cost and carbon emission reduction in large-scale constructions.
Commercial Director at Insee Cement, Janaka Weerakoon said, “Not only are we looking at imparting knowledge through this competition, we are also encouraging the future generation to invest in specialized areas in the construction industry such as concrete mix design, and collaborate with us as we challenge convention through research and innovation.”
President of the IESL, Eng. Jayavilal Meegoda said, “As the apex professional body for engineers in Sri Lanka, it is the duty of IESL to ensure that professional practice and engineering education in the country uphold the benchmark standards on par with international counterparts.”
“Competitions such as the Insee-IESL Concrete Challenge encourage engineering undergraduates to focus on research and innovation, an imperative requirement for the evolution of engineering in the country. We are excited to partner with Sri Lanka’s leading cement manufacturer Insee on this game-changing mission,” he said.
The winning team will visit the Insee Cement Headquarters in Thailand and the cement plant in Saraburi, one of the largest cement manufacturing facilities in the world, on a three-night educational visit to the country.
The first runners-up will receive a one-night stay at Hotel RIU, Ahungalla with the second runners-up receiving a one-night stay at Hotel Chaaya Tranz, Hikkaduwa. Insee Cement or Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited, is a member of the Siam City Cement Public Company Limited (SCCC), a leading cement manufacturer in Southeast Asia. It was founded in Thailand in 1969.
SCCC Thailand draws from the accumulated expertise and knowledge over decades of operation, and is strongly focused on investing in rapidly advancing regional markets such as Sri Lanka, which show much promise in sustainable construction. - SJ