In the plan of excellent engineer training, it is the core content strengthening the student’s engineering ability and innovation ability. The paper introduced the mission, content, form and development of the structural design competition, and then analyzed the positional function of the competition in the practice research and study from four aspects: inspiring the student’s interest, cultivating the student’s innovation and practice ability, enriching school scientific and technology atmosphere, and promoting the development of practice teaching innovation. Finally, put forward that the school built open structural innovation platform for practice research and study in civil engineering specialty based on the structural design competition from the establishment of hardware loading equipment system, the realization of flexible open mechanism, and the development forms of structural innovation and practice activities. It will give the fundament for the success of excellent engineer plan in civil engineering specialty.