Four Bachelor of Engineering and Architecture graduates had the opportunity to present their final year dissertation to an audience of architects and civil engineers, University of Malta students, as well as the public. The annual event recognises the significant effort of students in their dissertation research work.

The Faculty for the Built Environment’s dissertation awards event was organised by the Malta Group of Professional Engineering Institutions (MGPEI) representing the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) in Malta, in collaboration with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Student Chapter at the University.

The event started with a brief overview of the functions of the MGPEI and the Institution of Civil Engineers by ICE Malta representative Ruben Paul Borg, followed by a presentation by the ICE Student Chapter committee, highlighting the main aims of the newly founded student organisation at the University.

After a review of various dissertations by an independent jury, the presentations selected for this year’s event were the following: Reducing the Impact of Agriculture on Water Resources – Rowena Gauci; Restoration of Historic Concrete – James Dingli; Comparative Structural Assessment of the Flexural Resistance of Glue Laminated Timber Beams and Natural Solid Timber Beams – Ann Marie Ellul; Shear Characteristics across Simulated Discontinuities in the Local Globigerina Limestone – Andrew Farrugia.

The winning dissertation was judged to be that by Andrew Farrugia, with Rowena Gauci as runner-up.

The presentations were well received by the audience. Several questions were put forward to the finalists, which opened up an interesting discussion on the themes presented in the field of civil engineering.