Depok, June 14th, 2023. Three students from the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI) designed a 36 meter long bridge using asphalt from plastic waste as an aggregate mixture for road asphalt. The three students are Juan Fidel Ferdani (Civil Engineering 2019), Bayu Dewanto (Civil Engineering 2020), and Leonardo Dillon (Architecture 2020). The bridge with the Modified Bowstring Truss Bridge model was designed to connect two roads in Singapore.
Based on data from The National Environmental Agency in 2020, Singapore produced 868 tons of plastic waste. This figure made Singapore’s plastic waste the third largest waste generated in 2020. Unfortunately, only 36 tons of plastic waste could be recycled, or 4% of the total plastic waste produced. This certainly raised an urgent need in handling Singapore’s plastic waste.
“We are trying to help solve this problem by utilizing Singapore’s plastic waste as an aggregate mixed in asphalt in the bridge design we are making. The bridge we are designing will connect Commonwealth Avenue West and Holland Grove Drive/Holland Grove to cross the Ghim Moh Canal. It is hoped that in the future our designs can increase the value of plastic waste and reduce its environmental impact,” said Bayu.
Juan added, “The choice of the Modified Bowstring Truss Bridge with the Warren Pattern bridge model was chosen because this model is a combination of the Bowstring Truss on the top edge of the beam and the Warren Pattern on the framework of the bridge structure. The Bowstring Truss is a curved bridge design, while the Warren Pattern is an equilateral triangle in the framework of the bridge structure. The Bowstring Truss is used because in the curved bridge moment diagram, the greatest moment is in the middle. Meanwhile, Warren Pattern is used so that the load can be spread evenly across a number of bridge segments and can improve the aesthetics of the bridge. With the combination of these two types, the bridge we designed is not only structurally strong but also aesthetically pleasing.”
There were four stages in the construction of the bridge designed by the FTUI students, namely Site Preparation, Substructure Work, Upper Structure Work, and Finishing. The Site Preparation stage aimed to prepare land for construction and landscape development plans, which consist of Site Layout Development, Site Safety Protection, Site Cleanup, and Site Investigations. The Substructure Work phase included the construction of abutments and the erection of deep foundations along the bridge. To prevent disturbances in the surrounding environment, foundation erection was carried out using a hydraulic jacked-in piling machine. Upper Structure Work Stage included the construction of bridges and connecting roads. The Finishing Stage was the final stage of completing the bridge to ensure the bridge is in good condition and beautifies the bridge.
“In addition to being an international recognition for their achievements, these students’ innovations are also a concrete proof of their dedication in finding sustainable solutions to environmental problems while improving the quality of infrastructure. This recognition is a testament to their excellence in applying technical knowledge and creative thinking in creating sustainable and effective solutions. This achievement shows the world how collaboration between science, technology, and environmental awareness can create a significant positive impact. We hope that this achievement will be an inspiration for other students to dare to innovate and achieve international recognition in their efforts to build a better future,” said the Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, ST., M.Eng., IPU.
Thanks to the design of this bridge, the three students who are part of the Galanika Nawasena team won 3rd place in the prestigious international bridge design competition, the Nanyang Technology University Bridge Design Competition (NTU BDC) 2023. The FTUI team succeeded in eliminating more than a hundred teams from various countries in the competition that ended in early April 2023.
NTU BDC is an annual competition organized by the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Nanyang Technological University. An international competition that focuses on the structural design and construction methods of bridges where engineering students, especially civil engineering, are challenged to design structural bridges that are directly and practically relevant to the industry. This year’s NTU BDC will continue to be held virtually since the Covid-19 pandemic.
