Best Final Year Engineering Project

1. BACKGROUND Engineering education plays a critical role in developing innovative solutions for construction challenges. Final year projects provide students with an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world engineering problems. To encourage innovation, research excellence, and collaboration between academia and industry, an Inter-University Competition will be organized to recognize the best final year engineering projects related to: • Construction materials • Non-destructive testing and structural assessment • Geotechnical engineering • Artificial Intelligence applications in civil engineering The competition aims to promote creative problem solving, research quality, and practical implementation. 2. OBJECTIVES The competition aims to: • Encourage innovation in civil engineering technologies. • Promote practical solutions for construction challenges. • Strengthen collaboration between universities and industry. • Highlight the importance of testing, materials performance, and geotechnical stability in construction. • Promote digital transformation in engineering through AI and data analysis. 3. ELIGIBILITY • Participants must be final year undergraduate students in Civil Engineering or any related field with an application to civil engineering. • Projects must be completed within the academic year. • Each university branch may nominate up to three (3) projects in each department. • Each project team may include 2–5 students. • Projects must be supervised by a faculty advisor. 4. PROJECT THEMES Projects must demonstrate innovation and practical applicability in one or more of the following areas: 4.1. Construction Materials • Sustainable concrete • Recycled aggregates • Low-carbon materials • Durability and corrosion mitigation • Advanced material characterization 4.2. Structural Testing and Monitoring • Advanced non-destructive testing methods • Advanced structural health monitoring • Innovative testing techniques • Integration of digital technologies (such as BIM and digital twins) 4.3. Geotechnical Engineering • Innovative soil improvement techniques • Advanced foundation monitoring • Advanced soil structure interaction and slope stability analysis tools • Innovative testing techniques 4.4. Artificial Intelligence Applications • AI in structural assessment • Machine learning for concrete performance prediction • AI-based defect detection • Data-driven structural health monitoring 5. SUBMISSION Each participating team should submit the following through TicInnovate platform (we are working on a section on the platform specific to this competition and we will add the link here): • Project report (maximum 20 pages) • Executive summary (2 pages) • Short video presentation (3 minutes) 6. EVALUATION A panel of experts will review the submitted projects based on the following evaluation criteria. The shortlisted teams will then present their projects through posters and presentations before a jury of industry and academic experts. Criteria / Weight: Innovation and originality - 25% Technical quality and methodology - 25% Practical applicability - 20% Use of advanced technologies (AI, testing methods, etc.) - 15% Presentation and communication - 15% 7. Awards and Post-Completion Roadmap To ensure that the competition leads to real impact and further development of innovative ideas, the following roadmap is proposed for the winning teams: The first, second, and third place winning teams will receive: • Recognition on the TicInnovate platform and communication channels, highlighting their achievements and projects to the wider engineering community. • Industry exposure, including opportunities to connect with industry professionals and companies for potential collaboration, internships, or career opportunities. In addition, the first and second place winning teams will benefit from: • Fast-track access to specialized training and technical workshops organized by TicInnovate and its partners, designed to enhance their professional and technical skills. Furthermore, the first-place winning team will receive additional opportunities including: • Prototype and laboratory support to further develop, test, or validate their project. • The opportunity to present their project at the Future Concrete Construction Conference, an international conference organized annually in Lebanon. In addition to these opportunities, monetary prizes will be awarded as follows: • First Prize: USD 5,000 • Second Prize: USD 1,000 • Third Prize: USD 500 8. Timeline Activity / Date Project submission deadline - 31 July 2026 Technical evaluation - 31 August 2026 Final presentations - 30 September 2026 Winners Announcement - October 2026