A team of University of Ulster students have beaten off stiff competition to win the northern heat of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Student Challenge.

Final year Construction Engineering and Management students Kevin Gallagher, Eliza Harvey, Janice Galbraith and Kyle Hamiltion are now through to the semi final which will be hosted in Limerick this Thursday February 14.

The team trounced competitors from Belfast Metropolitan College, Southern Eastern Regional College, South West Regional College, North West Regional College, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Sligo Institute of Technology and Southern Regional College.

Competitors were set a hypothetical task, where they had to review 10-year-old plans for a housing development to ensure they now complied with current planning and building regulations

They were also asked to consider legal and technical innovations which could be used to deliver affordable homes.

The team was awarded a trophy sponsored by Xtratherm, prize money of £300 sponsored by Farrans and individual certificates. Winners of the Limerick heat will go through to the national finals at the CIOB International Headquarters in Ascot next month.

The University of Ulster will host the CIOB Student Challenge Northern Heats in January 2014.