Robert Avery
Position: Site Engineer
University: Loughborough University
Degree and qualification: BEng Hons (DIS) in Civil Engineering, 2:1
Year Graduated: 2003
My Background
I have always been interested in the built environment, and not wanting to undertake a purely office job. I have been able to work on multi-million pound contracts in various sectors whilst taking on different roles. This started during my year out with Balfour Beatty working on CTRL 440 and A120. My success on these contracts lead to me being sponsored by Balfour Beatty for my final year at university.
Civil Engineering has allowed me to build something that will stand for a very long time and it is something to be proud of. It is a very diverse field and gives countless opportunities worldwide.
University focussed me on the theoretical side of the construction industry, but when I did a year’s placement with Balfour Beatty, I experienced the practical element and the quick decisions that need to be made.
My Job
On graduating I worked on the West Coast Main Line as a site engineer where I worked on the Piling train for 13 months. This involved a mixture of day and night shifts. During my period there I gained extra responsibilities in becoming site first aider, Controller of Site Safety (COSS) on shifts and being the site supervisor on certain shifts. My main areas of responsibility include setting out all the works that fall into my section of the scheme, setting up quality assurance and environmental protection procedures for my section of works, as well as liaising with all sub contractors on site, to achieve a positive outcome on the project.
From there I moved to Head Office to undertake a period of design training. During this year I spent 6 months planning and programming for several tenders and contracts that Balfour Beatty were undertaking. This involved producing traffic management schemes for the proposed construction as well as building the job in my head/on paper so that a suitable and feasible programme could be produced. I then spent 8 months in Temporary Works (of which I am about to complete) where I have been designing schemes for various parts of the Balfour Beatty Group. These schemes have included hoarding systems around buildings, scaffold towers, cofferdams and gantry cranes.
The most enjoyable aspects of working in my area are the strong team bonds, the ability to work outside all week and the opportunity to take ideas from conception to reality. The least enjoyable part is the mornings, but the fresh air wakes you up like a treat.
Externally, I have been getting involved with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). I am currently the chairman of the ICE Graduates and Students Thames Valley Committee as well as the only Contractor representative on the ICE Graduates and Students National Committee (GSNC). I have also been involved with promoting civil engineering at careers evenings and university visits.
The future
The immediate future is for me to return to site in a more senior role with responsibility. I aim to be sitting my ICE chartership review in the next two years.
In ten years time I hope to have worked abroad on a contract or two. I also aim to be progressing towards senior management within Balfour Beatty.
The best advice I can give to students wanting to work in the area is to give it a go. Just imagine passing something everyday that you have helped build, be it by design or on site. You can say ‘I did that’!
Unforgettable moment
The most unforgettable moment was the day when all the steel beams were erected on to my first bridge. It’s the realisation that everything has to be spot on for all the structural steel to fit correctly, and even though it has been checked you’re still anxious, especially when the bridge is worth £300k! The worrying moment was when the crane arrived 4 hours late, so it was a very late finish to erect all the structural steel.
