NTU BDC 2026 carries the theme“Bridging the Gap: Urban Connectivity and Industrial Resilience”and challenges participants to integrate structural theory into practice through design, simulation, and physical construction of bridges. Assessment in this competition focuses not only on structural strength, but also on cost efficiency and sustainability aspects through the Cost-Efficiency-Green Value (CEGV) approach. In the final round, participants are faced with real-world conditions with technical specifications that were just announced on the first day, as well as live testing until the structure fails (test to failure).

Tim Big Brother Asoy Geboy, consisting of Rizqi Fathoni (15023102), Adyatma Bima Parikesit (15023105), and Shaqil Aqila Hanugh (15023149), proposed a bridge design based onWarren trusswhich is known to have a high strength to weight ratio (strength-to-weight ratio) optimal. Instead of massively adding material, the team focused on material efficiency through failure point prediction and connection technique optimization. This approach yielded significant performance, with the bridge capable of supporting loads of up to 385 kN (approx. 39 kg) with only weight27,9 gram, making it one of the most efficient structures in the competition.

However, this achievement was not achieved without challenges. During preparation, the team faced limited training materials that differed from competition conditions, as well as limited preparation time due to the academic break. In fact, initial test results showed the team's performance ranked lowest in terms of efficiency compared to other ITB teams. In the final round, the team also had to quickly adapt to the use of new materials such as basswood and assembly methods using...glue gun, as well as time pressure in preparing presentations.

Despite this, ITB demonstrated strong dominance in the competition. Of the five teams sent, four made it into the top 10 and advanced to the final presentation stage. In addition to the second-place finish for Kuya Asoy Geboy, ITB also took home1st Runner Upthrough the Kuyakin team. This achievement is significant for ITB, considering the last time it won an offline championship was in 2016.

For the team, this experience was a valuable lesson regarding the importance of the evaluation and analysis process in engineering design.

"The most important thing isn't just the results of the training, but how we analyze and evaluate each design to determine the most optimal solution during the competition," said Adyatma Bima Parikesit (Civil Engineering 2023).

In closing, the team also encouraged other students to start building experience in national-level competitions before advancing to the international level. With consistent practice and focused hard work, opportunities to compete on the global stage are increasingly open.

Reporter: Vito Egi Nandriansyah (Geophysical Engineering, 2021)