Xuelin Wang Participates in GeoWall Competition

2015 Mar 30

Xuelin Wang, a senior civil engineering and computer science major of Beijing, China, was on a team of Mount Union civil engineering students who competed in the 2015 GeoWall Competition held in San Antonio, Texas earlier this month.

The GeoWall competition is part of the International Foundation Congress and Equipment Expo held by The International Association of Foundation Drilling, Deep Foundations Institute, Geo-Institute of ASCE and the Pile Driving Contractors Association. Students were asked to design and build a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining wall on site in a limited time period. This is the first year that the Mount Union department of Engineering has sent a team to the invitation-only competition.

Students, who have been preparing since fall 2014, submitted their proposal in January. The competition was held on March 18 and the Mount Union team ranked sixteenth overall in the final.

"This experience showed students how to design an MSE retaining wall while giving them creative thinking, leadership experience and teamwork skills," said Dr. Yan Liu, assistant professor of engineering, who accompanied students on the trip. "They learned how effectively working as a team can also help them succeed in a competitive environment."