An innovative pilot program was recently launched to develop practical engineering, management and collaboration skills of students and young professionals as they build scaled-down iconic international structures, including the Barcelona TV Tower.
Founded by BMD and Aurecon, not-for-profit organisation Constructionarium Australia, enables participants working in teams to construct smaller versions of global iconic bridges, dams and civil engineering projects in a safe, practical and relevant environment.
Peter Anusas, BMD Constructions General Manager Northern Region, said BMD was excited to be a founding partner of a program that helps expose student engineers to the practical realities of a construction project.
“There is a desperate need in our industry to provide an environment where young professionals can safely transition from their academic exposure to the real world of civil engineering practice…which involves hands-on working with materials, machinery and each other,” Mr Anusas said.
“At the end of the program, students will be able to understand with confidence the essential ingredients to a project’s success and the importance of teamwork and interpersonal relationships.
“BMD is a firm believer in the value of ‘hands-on’ experience and we are excited about the continued development of the Constructionarium Australia program."
Constructionarium Australia’s vision is to ensure that local engineers have the practical skills to construct Australia’s future, while engendering an increased level of collaboration in training and innovation among academic, industry and government sectors.
Organisations including Bechtel, the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), RLG International, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), The University of Queensland (UQ) and the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) are supporting the program.
Nicky Milsom, Constructionarium Australia Coordinator, said the program has the potential to assist employers with recruitment and graduate inductions and also has the scope to embrace iconic Australian structures in the future.
“In the UK, many universities offer Constructionarium as either an integrated module as part of their degree offering or as an optional field trip,” Ms Milsom said.
“While the main objective is to develop practical skills, the UK has found additional benefits in the formation of lasting collaborations between industry and university participants, and firms using Constructionarium as a recruitment tool.
“Companies are also using Constructionarium as part of their graduate induction program to share their health and safety behaviours and company values.
“Constructionarium Australia will engage universities and industry organisations and conduct the program on a regular basis and we look forward to developing some awesome project kits that are iconically Australian.”
The Constructionarium Australia pilot program was launched on 29 August 2016 and ran for five days at the USQ Springfield campus, with early-career engineers from BMD, Aurecon and TMR working together to construct a nine-metre tall replica of the Barcelona TV Tower.
Main image: Final concrete pour for Barcelona TV Tower replica project. Courtesy of Constructionarium Australia.
Thumbnail image: Young engineers construct a replica of the Barcelona TV Tower. Courtesy of Constructionarium Australia.