This year’s All-Female Big Build Program tasked 20 emerging construction professionals to work on developing a project on a scaled-down 25 metre bridge in just over a week.
This was the second program run by Constructionarium Australia. It was held in conjunction with Major Road Projects Victoria’s (MRPV) at their Hallam site.
Female construction engineers and infrastructure professionals from Arcadis, McConnell Dowell, Rail Projects Victoria, Level Crossing Removal Project, and MRPV were involved.
The project is usually is a bridge, building, tower or other civil engineering feat where the team learns leadership and team skills, problem solving, and practical project development. Typically, they plan, tender, build, and hand over a scale project.
According to MRPV, they were tasked with the pricing, scheduling, construction and handover of a Big Build Bridge under simulated real-word operational, budgetary, site and environmental conditions and successfully delivered a scaled-down replica of a steel cantilever bridge, 25 metres long, 3.7 metres high, and weighing five tonnes.
Major Road Projects Victoria Surveillance Cadet Courtney Neil said: “I think the experience can help with your everyday job and make you more confident in your skills and ability to work on big projects. I would recommend the program 100% to anyone who has the opportunity to do it.”
A similar program is run by Constructionarium Australia in Queensland, where a scale replica of Brisbane’s Eleanor Schonell Bridge is built (pictured).
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is our weekly news journalist and the editor of Concrete in Australia magazine for 10 years. She has been heavily involved in all forms of engineering since 2013; part of a 30-year writing career across a range of subjects and media.