Student Engineer Review

One of my roles at Arcadis was to undertake bridge assessments of existing highway structures to determine the capacity of the bridge to withstand normal traffic live loading. I also was involved in principle inspections which involved on-site work and report writing. Furthermore, I was able to experience a concept design process through the summer placement bridge competition, where I worked with other interns to propose a pedestrian and cycle bridge.

The bridge competition was an excellent way of enforcing full responsibility of the project onto myself and the other interns. This allowed us to take full responsibility of our work and meant that we understood where we needed to develop ourselves. I was also given responsibility in real projects, where I would undertake the calculations required by myself and then was provided feedback on my work which allowed vast development over the internship.

I have developed report writing and communication skills through undertaking bridge assessments, where being able to convey the process undertaken through calculations is crucial. I also gained valuable experience working on-site, with numerous site visits across my placements presenting varying challenges and exposure to different aspects of design and asset management. Lastly, the bridge competition was an excellent way of applying university knowledge into a real project and the different challenges this brings.

I had frequent contact with other engineers and line manager. Everyone was very welcoming and encouraged questions which greatly helped with my development.

The office was a welcoming space that promoted a good working environment. As an intern, I felt very included within the company and was constantly updated on what others were working on, which was very useful in improving my own work.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement and would highly recommend.

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