This initiative is part of the American Concrete Institute – ACI – and takes place in the United Sates between ACI student chapters twice a year. Participation is open, and each active ACI Student Chapter has the right to register and participate according to competition guidelines.
UMG Campus Quetzaltenango’s ACI Student Chapter has competed in previous opportunities with different delegations, and this time, the UMG Quetzaltenango team was the only one representing the ACI Guatemala chapter in the competition.
During the competition, held at the Boston Convention Center, 33 university teams from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic demonstrated polymer and fiber-reinforced concrete structure (FRP) design, construction, and testing to achieve the lowest cost-load ratio.
This triumph represents an achievement for the country, the construction industry, and the engineering and architecture student community from various Guatemalan universities. The next national ACI Student Chapter competition will take place in December 2023. It will be held at the Progreso CETEC laboratory in La Pedrera, Zone 6 of Guatemala, focused on concrete cylinder strength competition. The next international competition at the ACI Conventions will be held in New Orleans, USA, in March 2024.
Historically, Progreso has supported the Cement and Concrete Institute of Guatemala – ICCG – and the ACI Guatemala Chapter, making the CETEC laboratory available. Engineering and architecture students from the country’s different universities conduct tests, mainly testing materials, to participate in various activities and competitions organized by these institutions.
University Mariano Gálvez de Guatemala – UMG – Campus Quetzaltenango engineering students who secured first place in the «FRP Composite Beam» competition are: Ciria Soto, Kevin de León, Gabriel Gramajo, Kevin Sosa, Anthony Jeréz, Sebastián Santay, and Dana Vicente, with guidance from Professor Lester García.
