On November 21, the 2025 Geotechnical Challenge took place, organized by the Chilean Geotechnical Society (SOCHIGE) and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC). The event, now a well-established tradition within the Chilean geotechnical community, reached a historic level of participation, reflecting the growing enthusiasm of younger generations for applied geotechnical engineering and its real-world challenges.

The competition is aimed at university students and involves building a Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall inside a wooden box, using sand and paper strips as reinforcement. Once the structure is completed, teams must apply a 500 kN load, with the goal of ensuring the wall withstands it while using the least amount of reinforcement (paper) possible.

The exercise represents a genuine technical challenge. Teams must combine manual skills, planning, and engineering judgement. To support this, the organizing committee provides information about the materials and even sand samples for preliminary testing, allowing teams to design their solutions ahead of time and face a task that mirrors real professional scenarios.