Yorkshire and Humber engineers compete to bring projects to life

"Pitch 200 is a fantastic opportunity for the public to hear interesting and engaging explanations of complex subjects, straight from the mouths of the experts."
Penny Marshall, the ICEs regional director for Yo

Members of the public are invited to join the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) for a creative and engaging event aimed at demystifying the often-complex subject of engineering.

Contestants from the Institution will battle it out in 200 second slots, hoping to bring engineering to life for the York-based audience.

From demonstrating demolition through the medium of pastries to building bridges out of animal bones, competitors will spark the imaginations of experienced engineers and novices alike using props, presentations and anything they can conjure up.

Members of the public will have the chance to grill each of the participants on their presentation and gain an insight into civil engineering and science behind it.

Topics for discussion include A civil engineer’s passion for poo, Decision making in design practice, The effect of coastal defences on sediment transport, Suitability of corn cob ash as a supplementary cementitious material, and Save the rabbit’s garden!

The competition will take place at the Network Rail York Engineers’ Triangle on Wednesday 15 May 2019 at 18:00 and is free for the public to attend. The winner, who will be selected by a panel of expert judges, will become the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Ambassador for 2020 and represent the region at the Grand Final in autumn.

Penny Marshall, the ICE’s regional director for Yorkshire and Humber, said: “Pitch 200 is a fantastic opportunity for the public to hear interesting and engaging explanations of complex subjects, straight from the mouths of the experts.

“Civil engineering is often thought of as boring or irrelevant to the general public, however every day our lives are impacted by the incredible feats of civil engineering that help us get from A to B, power our homes, and, in environmental terms, may even save the planet.

“We look forward to welcoming members of the public to the York final on15 May and potentially inspiring the next generation of engineers from the region.”