The Odebrecht Organization is introducing its award for sustainable development to American universities through two of its subsidiaries - Odebrecht USA, the North American division of a global leader in engineering and construction services, and Braskem, the largest manufacturer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas. By writing and submitting a paper on contributions to sustainability, undergraduate students have an opportunity to engage in a challenging exercise to develop engineering and chemical solutions.
Whether related to new building techniques, new chemical and petrochemical processes, or alternative uses of sustainable materials, projects should explore innovative practices, methods, and ideas that can be implemented on a variety of real-world ventures. Award entries will be judged on content, technical contribution, applicability, clarity/presentation and reasoning/depth. Currently, the sustainable award is also presented in six other countries.
"We are excited to bring the Odebrecht Award to students in the United States, and we look forward to sharing their innovative ideas with our judging panel of experts, as well as potentially turning these burgeoning ideas into realities," said Gilberto Neves, President & CEO of Odebrecht USA. "This is a great opportunity for students, universities and industry organizations to engage in a healthy competition, encouraging and supporting the future engineers, scientists and architects of America."
The award is open to any undergraduate or group of students enrolled at a U.S.-accredited university, with at least one student seeking a degree in engineering, architecture, building and construction management, or chemistry. Entries will be accepted from January 2, 2012 through May 31, 2012 at www.odebrechtaward.com. Meanwhile, participants are encouraged to engage on Facebook and Twitter.
Prizes will be awarded as follows:
First Prize: $20,000 to the student (s), $10,000 to the advising professor and $10,000 to their university
Second Prize: $7,000 to the student (s), $4,000 to the advising professor and $4,000 to their university
Third Prize: $5,000 to the student (s), $2,500 to the advising professor and $2,500 to their university
Additionally, participants of all shortlisted entries will be invited to participate in the process to become an Odebrecht Young Partner or a Braskem Associate. These are trainee and internship programs where young talents will experience first hand what it is like to work for a global leader in engineering and construction, and chemicals and petrochemicals.
"We're inviting young visionaries to join our revolution - to take this opportunity and contribute to positive change," said Ricardo Lyra, VP HR & Communications for Braskem America. "We anticipate groundbreaking ideas from American students and we can't wait to see what they come up with."BD+C
Related Stories
| Jan 7, 2011
BIM on Target
By using BIM for the design of its new San Clemente, Calif., store, big-box retailer Target has been able to model the entire structural steel package, including joists, in 3D, chopping the timeline for shop drawings from as much as 10 weeks down to an ‘unheard of’ three-and-a-half weeks.
| Jan 7, 2011
How Building Teams Choose Roofing Systems
A roofing survey emailed to a representative sample of BD+C’s subscriber list revealed such key findings as: Respondents named metal (56%) and EPDM (50%) as the roofing systems they (or their firms) employed most in projects. Also, new construction and retrofits were fairly evenly split among respondents’ roofing-related projects over the last couple of years.
| Jan 7, 2011
Total construction to rise 5.1% in 2011
Total U.S. construction spending will increase 5.1% in 2011. The gain from the end of 2010 to the end of 2011 will be 10%. The biggest annual gain in 2011 will be 10% for new residential construction, far above the 2-3% gains in all other construction sectors.
| Jan 7, 2011
Mixed-Use on Steroids
Mixed-use development has been one of the few bright spots in real estate in the last few years. Successful mixed-use projects are almost always located in dense urban or suburban areas, usually close to public transportation. It’s a sign of the times that the residential component tends to be rental rather than for-sale.
| Jan 4, 2011
Product of the Week: Zinc cladding helps border crossing blend in with surroundings
Zinc panels provide natural-looking, durable cladding for an administrative building and toll canopies at the newly expanded Queenstown Plaza U.S.-Canada border crossing at the Niagara Gorge. Toronto’s Moriyama & Teshima Architects chose the zinc alloy panels for their ability to blend with the structures’ scenic surroundings, as well as for their low maintenance and sustainable qualities. The structures incorporate 14,000 sf of Rheinzink’s branded Angled Standing Seam and Reveal Panels in graphite gray.
| Jan 4, 2011
6 green building trends to watch in 2011
According to a report by New York-based JWT Intelligence, there are six key green building trends to watch in 2011, including: 3D printing, biomimicry, and more transparent and accurate green claims.
| Jan 4, 2011
LEED standards under fire in NYC
This year, for the first time, owners of 25,000 commercial properties in New York must report their buildings’ energy use to the city. However, LEED doesn’t measure energy use and costs, something a growing number of engineers, architects, and landlords insist must be done. Their concerns and a general blossoming of environmental awareness have spawned a host of rating systems that could test LEED’s dominance.
| Jan 4, 2011
LEED 2012: 10 changes you should know about
The USGBC is beginning its review and planning for the next version of LEED—LEED 2012. The draft version of LEED 2012 is currently in the first of at least two public comment periods, and it’s important to take a look at proposed changes to see the direction USGBC is taking, the plans they have for LEED, and—most importantly—how they affect you.
| Jan 4, 2011
California buildings: now even more efficient
New buildings in California must now be more sustainable under the state’s Green Building Standards Code, which took effect with the new year. CALGreen, the first statewide green building code in the country, requires new buildings to be more energy efficient, use less water, and emit fewer pollutants, among many other requirements. And they have the potential to affect LEED ratings.
