UMS Team Secures Top 6 in NTU Bridge Design Challenge 2025

Students from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) have once again achieved an impressive milestone on the international stage. The AMNR CUBE team from the Civil Engineering Program successfully secured a spot in the top six at the NTU International Bridge Design Challenge 2025. The competition was organized by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

The AMNR CUBE team, consisting of Naufal Rozan as team leader and Alya Maharani as member, was mentored by lecturer Rama Rizana, S.T., M.Sc. The competition was joined by 172 teams from various countries, with the initial selection process involving the submission of bridge designs using the Bridge Designer Software.

From this qualifying round, the AMNR CUBE team advanced to the top 70 and was invited to the final round held at NTU, Singapore, on April 12–13, 2025.

Naufal explained that the selection process was highly competitive, with evaluation criteria covering structural efficiency, design strength, carbon footprint, and construction cost.

"Out of 172 teams, only 70 made it to the final. Alhamdulillah, two teams from UMS were among them," said Naufal on Saturday (26/4/2025).

In the final stage, participants went through a series of activities including briefing sessions, physical bridge model building, and structural strength testing (load testing). The bridge model they built had a span length of 30.5 cm, a height of about 9 cm, and a width of 5 cm, weighing approximately 12–16 grams.

“Our design was inspired by the shape of a durian, because the challenge case we received involved building a bridge in a durian orchard area,” Alya added.

The UMS delegation presented their innovative work at NTU, Singapore, 12–13 April, 2025. (Personal Documentation)

The bridge created by the AMNR CUBE team recorded a maximum load strength of 146 Newtons and received high marks in aesthetics, efficiency, and strength.

Based on the total score, the team secured a spot in the top six out of 70 finalist teams and earned the second-best presentation score among all participants.

“This was a very memorable experience. It was not only my first time going abroad but also my first time competing in an international competition. I never expected to make it into the top 10,” said Alya.

Meanwhile, Naufal added, “We hope this experience will inspire our fellow members in the CUBE community and other UMS students to take bold steps toward international competitions,” he said.

Although they did not receive a prize, since only the top five teams were awarded, both team members agreed that the experience and lessons gained during the competition were far more valuable.

“International competitions are not impossible. What matters most is the courage to try,” Naufal concluded.

Writer: Fika Annisa Sholihah

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid