A team of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) students has once again achieved a notable milestone on the international stage. The Gadjah Mada Building and Bridge (GMBB) community secured second place in the International Bridge Design Contest (IBDC), held as part of the Civil Engineering Innovation Contest (CEIC) Season XIII at Diponegoro University in Semarang on May 17, 2025.
The competition featured 27 teams from various national and international universities.
Competing under the team name Emperawr, the GMBB team comprised Alfath Qornain Isnan Yuliadi, Figo Valentino Widyatmiko, and Muhammad Falah Naufal Moelia.
Their entry, titled Jembatan Panggah, a Javanese term meaning “resilient” or “steadfast,” embodied strength and innovation in an aesthetically pleasing infrastructure design.
“We chose the name to symbolize resilience, robustness, and innovation through elegant infrastructure,” explained Yuliadi in a statement to the press on Monday, May 26, 2025.
Aligned with the competition’s theme, Smart Bridges and Disaster Resilience Using BIM Technology Innovation to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals, the Emperawr team adopted an innovative approach that integrated advanced technologies.
They utilized Python programming, structure analysis based on VBA, and implemented Building Information Modeling (BIM) from 3D to 7D levels.
Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) was embedded into their design.
“Our concept focuses on disaster-resistant bridges, employing eco-friendly materials such as bio-foam concrete, while maintaining a pedestrian-friendly design,” said Figo Widyatmoko.
He further noted that their innovations emphasized efficiency and sustainability as essential design components.
“BIM served as the backbone of our design process, which we complemented with modern technological approaches to ensure the final structure remains adaptive to the evolving demands of civil engineering,” added Moelia.
This achievement not only adds to UGM students’ growing list of accomplishments both nationally and internationally but also strengthens UGM’s commitment to promoting sustainable innovation across various sectors, particularly civil engineering and infrastructure development.
Author: Bolivia Rahmawati
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna