6 November – A student team from UTM Civil Engineering Student won Best Model Award at the National Geotechnical Festival 2014 organized by Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM) from 5 to 6 November 2014. The prize was presented by Dr. Zulkefli b. Mohamed Hashim, Deputy Secretary General the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Prof Dr. Shahrin b. Mohammad, the Dean Faculty of Civil Engineering said, besides winning the best model award, our student team also winning 1 silver medal, 2 bronze medal and 2 Consolation Prize in the National Geofest 2014.

He said the faculty have send five groups of student and our group who carried out the project of Development of flexible footing for small scale physical modelling test on cohesive soil has won the best model category beside won the bronze medal.

Below is the list of the other four projects with the award the won:
1. Determination of soil liquid limit by using different cone angle wining bronze medal
2. Determination of soil specific gravity by using partially vacuum and vibration method – 1st runner up (best model category)
3. Maximizing the use of coal ash in soft soil improvement – silver medals
4. Ground improvement by using Kenaf geotextiles – consolation prize

Geotechnical Engineering Festival (GEOFEST) is a yearly festival organized by UTHM since 2009 to encourage and support Malaysian Undergraduate students to interact and advance their knowledge and understanding of Geotechnics while giving them an opportunity to promote their own research and innovative developments.
“Such competition like this can produce innovative, creative UTM students with the ability to utilise higher order thinking skills, in addition to providing students with the experience of competing at the global level.” said PRof. Shahrin during the interview.

“The competing student groups were accompanied by Prof. Dr. Aminaton Marto and Dr. Ahmad Safuan b. A Rashid from Department of Geo technique and Transportation, Faculty of Civil Engineering, said Shahrin.