Students from Diponegoro University in Semarang, Central Java, won a gold medal at the 2018 International Trade Fair (iENA) - Ideas Inventions and New Products, Antara news agency has reported.

The annual exhibition for inventions and new products was held from Nov. 1 to 4 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center in Nuremberg, Germany.

Held by international company AFAG, the event drew more than 800 contestants from 30 countries, including two teams from Indonesia.

Yunnia, Laitufa Nidia, Nurul Halwiyah, Ibadurrahman and Rifqi Rudwi Rafifta from Diponegoro University created a Styrofoam-based roof tile, containing 2 to 3 percent Styrofoam by weight ratio, mixed with cement and sand.

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The students said the idea came from the abundance of Styrofoam waste at their campus dumpster, where they obtained the material. The team was encouraged to use Styrofoam because as it is non-biodegradable.

According to Yunnia, a student from the school's faculty of science and mathematics, the tile was 15 to 20 percent lighter than regular roof tiles, which weigh 3 to 4 kilograms on average. “We are constantly trying to make the tile lighter,” she said.

The team’s supervisor, M. Nur Sholeh, said the innovation could help to minimize casualties during earthquakes. “The Styrofoam is mixed accordingly to achieve optimal resilience while being lightweight,” he said. (iru/wng)