Disaster Masters: EWB Warwick Tackles Flood Resilience at "The Big Pitch"

In 2023, flooding stood as the most frequent natural disaster on Earth, representing over 40% of all natural catastrophes. In the UK, the financial toll has already exceeded $1.1 billion, with a surprising 25% of these incidents occurring outside of known flood-prone areas. To confront this "unbeatable" challenge, Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Warwick hosted "The Big Pitch: Disaster Masters".

Supported by EWB UK and RS Group, the event challenged a group of 12 aspiring engineers to step into a real-world workspace scenario. The brief: a major flood struck Hull with minimal warning, and the UK government required innovative engineering solutions for recovery and prevention.

The Engineering Challenge

The participants divided into specialized teams, each tasked with a critical component of disaster response:

• Mechanical Team: Focused on mobility. Their mission was to modify an RC car to navigate the uneven, hilly debris of a flood zone.
• Civil Team: Focused on infrastructure. They were tasked with building a resilient embankment using limited materials to protect the settlement.

The atmosphere was high-energy as teams analyzed their briefs and identified priority actions while navigating real-world obstacles.

The Civil Team delivered a standout performance by going beyond a simple embankment; they designed and constructed an impressive bridge featuring complex trusses and supports. They took the challenge further and thought about functionality and aesthetics by including a water drainage system and modelling overhead lights. To test its durability, weights were applied to the structure to find its breaking point. P.S. one of the academic events officers stood on the bridge to test its maximum strength!

Ultimately, the Mechanical Team took home the win and the "bragging rights". Their modified RC car was successfully tested for its ability to travel smoothly through cardboard chips and ascend steep slopes. They impressed the judges coming up with an innovative high strength rain shield where the structure could be attached when needed to a car to allow the vehicle to bounce and rotate, ensuring it could handle the most treacherous terrain. Special mentions go to the truss structure at the sides, which insured strength and the rubber inserts on the wheels which insured an improved grip. 

Community Effort

Beyond the competition, the event was a celebration of the engineering community at Warwick. Participants were supported throughout by the EWB exec team and were rewarded with certificates and a well-earned "Special Surprise" of sweets.

A huge thank you to EWB UK and RS Group for making this event possible and for helping our students "lock in" to solve the engineering challenges of tomorrow.