FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

By: Dr. Muhammad Farhan Mohd Fisol
in UTM Newshub

TAIPEI, 8 Nov. – Dua pasukan pelajar Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) daripada Fakulti Kejuruteraan Awam (FKA) berjaya melakar sejarah tersendiri apabila meraih pelbagai pengiktirafan di pertandingan antarabangsa Introducing and Demonstrating Earthquake Engineering Research in Schools (IDEERS) 2026 di Taipei, Taiwan.

Pertandingan yang menguji ketahanan dan kecekapan reka bentuk struktur seismik ini telah berlangsung dari 5 hingga 7 November 2026 di National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE), dengan penyertaan berpuluh-puluh universiti dari seluruh dunia. Kejayaan kontinjen UTM ini disokong penuh oleh kepakaran FKA menerusi kerjasama dengan Kumpulan Penyelidikan Seismologi Kejuruteraan dan Kejuruteraan Gempa Bumi (eSEER), yang menyediakan latihan, simulasi gegaran, serta pembangunan model struktur.

Bagi kategori pascasiswazah, pasukan FKA di bawah bimbingan pensyarah pengiring, Dr. Nur Hajarul Falahi Abdul Halim, berjaya menempatkan diri dalam kelompok enam terbaik keseluruhan. Lebih membanggakan, pasukan yang dianggotai oleh empat pelajar prasiswazah—Anushri Batumanathan, Nur Farzana Mamat Solleh, Soon Chen Wei, dan Hee Rui Chen—merupakan satu-satunya wakil Malaysia bagi kategori ini. Mereka berjaya merangkul tiga anugerah utama iaitu Anugerah Pembentangan Terbaik, Anugerah Pameran Konsep Reka Bentuk, dan Anugerah Seni Bina Estetik. Pengalaman tiga daripada mereka sebagai alumni pasukan UTM edisi terdahulu banyak membantu dalam memantapkan kemahiran reka bentuk struktur tahan gempa.
Kecemerlangan ini turut diteruskan dalam kategori prasiswazah menerusi pasukan bimbingan Ir. Dr. Nik Zainab Nik Azizan. Pasukan yang dianggotai oleh Thinesh Selvendran, Teh Rui Feng, Nur Hidayah Syafiqah Hamade, dan Kunaahl Nair Kamalahasan ini berjaya menduduki tempat ke-16 keseluruhan daripada 40 institusi antarabangsa, sekali gus menjadi universiti dari Malaysia dengan kedudukan tertinggi. Model struktur mereka cemerlang melepasi ujian di atas meja gegaran (shake table), melayakkan mereka menerima Sijil Tahan Gempa Bumi dan Sijil Binaan Utuh.

Penyertaan dan kejayaan kontinjen UTM pada tahun ini turut direalisasikan menerusi sokongan dana dan logistik daripada rakan industri, iaitu Greenibs Consult Sdn. Bhd. dan Doshin Rubber Products (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Pencapaian luar biasa ini bukan sahaja membuktikan komitmen FKA UTM dan eSEER dalam memperkasakan kemahiran teknikal dan pemikiran kritis pelajar, malah membuka ruang luas untuk pengembangan jaringan akademik antarabangsa dalam bidang penyelidikan seismik.

[ENGLISH]
Two FKA UTM Student Teams Shine with Multiple Earthquake Engineering Awards at IDEERS 2026 in Taiwan

TAIPEI, Nov 8 – Two student teams from the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have made their mark by securing multiple recognitions at the international Introducing and Demonstrating Earthquake Engineering Research in Schools (IDEERS) 2026 competition in Taipei, Taiwan.

The international event, which tests the resilience and efficiency of seismic structural designs, was held from 5 to 7 November 2026 at the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE), drawing participation from dozens of universities worldwide. The UTM contingent’s success was heavily backed by FKA’s expertise in collaboration with the Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research Group (eSEER), providing crucial early preparation, shaking simulations, and structural model development.
In the postgraduate category, the FKA team led by their advisor, Dr. Nur Hajarul Falahi Abdul Halim, successfully secured a spot in the top six overall. Remarkably, this team—comprising four undergraduate students: Anushri Batumanathan, Nur Farzana Mamat Solleh, Soon Chen Wei, and Hee Rui Chen—was the sole Malaysian representative in this category. They proudly brought home three major awards: the Best Presentation Award, the Design Concept Exhibition Award, and the Aesthetic Architecture Award. The prior competition experience of three team members, coupled with continuous guidance from FKA and eSEER, significantly enhanced their technical capabilities in earthquake-resistant design.

UTM’s success continued in the undergraduate category with a team advised by Ir. Dr. Nik Zainab Nik Azizan. Consisting of Thinesh Selvendran, Teh Rui Feng, Nur Hidayah Syafiqah Hamade, and Kunaahl Nair Kamalahasan, the team placed 16th overall out of 40 participating international institutions, making UTM the highest-ranked Malaysian university in the competition. Their structural model successfully passed the rigorous shake table test, earning them two technical recognitions: the Quake-Resistant Certificate and the Excellent Building Certificate.

The academic and technical preparation of the UTM contingent was further bolstered by financial and logistical sponsorships from esteemed industry partners, Greenibs Consult Sdn. Bhd. and Doshin Rubber Products (M) Sdn. Bhd.
This outstanding achievement highlights the continuous efforts of FKA UTM and eSEER in strengthening student involvement in earthquake engineering and related research. The experience not only builds the students’ technical skills, critical thinking, and competitiveness but also paves the way for broader international academic networks in seismic research.

civil.utm.my | Always Ahead

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