Robert Gordon's College have been presented with a cheque for £500 for being the top school in the region (and third in Scotland) in the annual West Point Bridge Design Contest.

Mr Clive Kennedy, President of the Aberdeen Association of Civil Engineers and an associated society of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and Rachel Kennedy, Pre-19 co-ordinator who organised the competition, visited the school and presented Sharon Ngu of the winning team with the cheque.

Sharon Ngu (aged 14, from Aberdeen) and her teammate Simon De Lecq Marguerie (aged 14, from Westhill) had to try and design the strongest, most cost-effective bridge using the freely available West Point Bridge Design software.

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Competition winners were Mid Yell School from Shetland, and second placed were Williamwood High School in East Renfrewshire.

This was the first year that Robert Gordon's College had entered the competition. Maths and Technology teacher Roy Wakeford, who supervised the efforts of the 40 children who entered from the College said: "We are delighted that Sharon and Simon have done so well in their first attempt at bridge design using this software. The contest has allowed them to experience the processes involved in engineering a structure, working with a fantastic piece of software.

"Many of our pupils who choose to study technology then go on to become engineers. We are grateful to the Institution of Civil Engineers for giving the pupils this opportunity."

(GK/JM)