"Team CUET C", a team of Chattogram University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), has won the international ACI Mortar Workability Competition 2026, held in Atlanta, United States of America (USA).
The team took first place overall and also finished second in the economic category while another Bangladeshi institution, the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), also competed at the event. It placed fourth overall and second in both the "Environmental Design" category and the "Aesthetics in Concrete" competition.
Together, the two teams won four awards.
The competition was organised by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and ran from 11-14 October in Atlanta and Georgia. Universities and institutions from around the world submitted entries, and after a rigorous selection process, 40 teams advanced to the final round.
Judges evaluated several properties of the mortar, giving the greatest weight to flowability,which accounted for 50% of the total score, and stability, which accounted for 20%.
The remaining points were split among report quality (15%), carbon emissions (10%), and cost-effectiveness (5%).
Dr. GM Sadikul Islam, a professor in CUET's Department of Civil Engineering and faculty advisor of the university's ACI Student Chapter, advised the CUET team.
Its members in the main competition were Khandaker Fahad Alam, Swarup Chandra
Modak, Tanzim Musharrat Tushin, and Sumaiya Binte Mannan.
The IUT team was advised by Professor Dr. Tareq Uddin, president of the ACI Bangladesh Chapter, and was represented by Arina Tahrina Amin, Rajit Muhammad Chowdhury, Jasia Zubayer, Lamia Tabassum, Ragib Shahriar, Md. Humayed Tahsin Haque, Md. Mahadi Hasan Niloy, and Md. Zubayer Anjum.
Swarup Chandra Modak, a member of the winning team, said, "Participating in competitions like this helps us realize the true extent of our capabilities. Coming here, we have realized anew that we are capable of achieving a great deal. Unfortunately, however, we do not always get sufficient opportunities. Given the right resources and facilities, we could demonstrate our competence anywhere in the world."
Since its founding in 2018, CUET's ACI Student Chapter has won six international awards, including first, second, and third places, but all in online competitions, Prof Sadikul Islam noted.
Last year, the team placed fourth in an in-person competition in Malaysia."It had long been our dream to see our students excel in an in-person competition on American soil," he said.
"The team traveled to the United States with that very dream, and now they have emerged as champions. This is a moment of pride not only for us but also for CUET and the entire nation of Bangladesh," Prof Sadikul added.
The American Concrete Institute develops and promotes standards, codes, and technical knowledge on the construction and use of concrete. It works with engineers, researchers, and students worldwide and hosts competitions and training programmes to advance concrete technology.