Engineering Week is a national event showcasing the engineering profession to the wider University community and encouraging students to continue pursuing their engineering studies. This year, the UWA Young Engineers organised a week of challenging competitions with the generous support of Bechtel Australia.

Throughout the week, students participated in five competitions. The first challenge was demonstrating structural knowledge by taping a friend up on to a wall. The aim of this task was to keep a member of the team stuck to the wall for a minute using the least amount of tape. The most creative solution was by a team who made a handle out of tape for their team member to hold on to. Day two saw a water rocket competition, where soft drink bottles filled with compressed air and water were launched to reach maximum heights. Students modified soft drink bottles and chose the optimal amount of water to achieve heights of over 30m. For the mechanically minded, a Lego car race pitted students against each other with the goal of constructing the fastest motorised vehicle. It was about achieving the least weight, straightest steering and best gearing. Other competitions included building a bridge from drinking straws and a donut slingshot challenge.

UWA Young Engineers aim to promote the profession and help engineers-in-training towards their career development. For those who missed out, please keep an eye out for Engineering Week 2008.