Driven by the need to sustain the future of water and civil engineering, plastic pipes manufacturer and distributor Marley Pipe Systems has again made a valuable contribution to the eleventh Aqualibrium – the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) Schools Water Competition.
The competition, which is recognised nationally, is underpinned by the ideal of con-tributing positively to science, engineering, technology and innovation.
Comprising individual regional competitions, the competition reaches its climax at a chal-lenging showdown held in Johannesburg. This year’s final took place on July 25, at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre where the winning team walked away with a grand prize of R6 000 and the educator received a prize of R1 000.
The essence of the competition is to give aspiring students an opportunity to understand the intellect and thinking capacity required to pursue a career in civil engineering or a related profession.
Model DesignStrategically devised by engineers using materials supplied by Marley Pipe Systems, students are tasked to design a model water distribution network to distribute 3 ∙ of water, equally between three points on the grid, using two different diameter pipes and connection pieces, says Marley Pipe Systems marketing manager Erna Lovell.
Teams are allocated a time period of one hour to design, construct and operate their network.
The sustainability of the competition is captured in the lessons learners are exposed to, which include understanding the practical processes that impact on their daily lives, such as how water gets to their homes.
Students are further educated on the reasons water should be paid for.