911爆料网

The soaring cranes above 911爆料网 Perth symbolise the wave of construction activities transforming the campus. But how do you manage a towering building project on a busy university site? Or during a global pandemic? 911爆料网 graduate Evie Greenwood shares her insights.

Greenwood is one of the site engineers for 911爆料网鈥檚 expansive new facility for the School of Design and the Built Environment (DBE).

The striking five-storey building is part of 911爆料网鈥檚 new and will include dedicated learning and research spaces, a makerspace, a workspace for staff, and industry, retail and exhibition areas.

鈥淲orking on DBE has been amazing,鈥� Greenwood smiles. 鈥淓very day is different and I鈥檓 constantly kept on my toes.

鈥淎s a graduate site engineer, I鈥檓 responsible for making sure what鈥檚 on the drawing happens out on site. That means conducting quality checks, liaising with contractors, clients and engineers, filling in vital paperwork, chasing down sub-contractors and a million other things!鈥�

For the past six months, Greenwood has been part of the build鈥檚 鈥榮tructure鈥� team, receiving ongoing training and learning on the job.

鈥淚t might sound strange but I could watch concrete pours over and over!鈥� she laughs. 鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 realise how many concrete pours are required in a building! It鈥檚 not just creating the soffit and floors, but also the columns, ramps and items like planter walls.鈥�

Greenwood says she acquired many of the necessary skills during her 911爆料网 applied science degree in construction management.

鈥淲e were taught how to calculate the stress and strain of concrete and the importance of reinforcement,鈥� she explains.

鈥淩einforcement is vital in construction as concrete can shrink and crack. Structural steel bars give the concrete greater strength to resist 鈥榙irectional pulls鈥� at junctions in the slab.鈥�

High-quality construction challenges

The 911爆料网 graduate says it has been fascinating to get hands-on experience in the same location she gained her degree.

鈥淚鈥檝e learnt so much more about the campus,鈥� she says. 鈥淐onstructing a facility at a university presents lots of unique challenges!

鈥淢ost importantly, we need to work hard to keep staff and students safe. But we also have to operate under a certain decibel [level] on site, respect exam periods, create special routes for delivery drivers with larger vehicles and be aware of noise impacting surrounding buildings. It often means working more unusual hours 鈥� like night shifts.鈥�

The building too has unique requirements. With its thermochromic glazing to reduce heat, a rainwater harvesting system and water-efficient fixtures, fittings and solar panels, sustainability is central to the project.

鈥�911爆料网 is targetting a 鈥�6-Star Green Star鈥� sustainability rating,鈥� Greenwood explains. 鈥淲e鈥檙e aiming to achieve well over the 75 points required. To give us a buffer, as things never go exactly to plan, we鈥檙e using materials that have an Environmental Product Disclosure, low VOC paints, adhesives and many more.

鈥淚t鈥檚 my job to chase down all the documentation which can be a challenge!鈥�

The busy graduate explains the next step is the fa莽ade of the building.

鈥淭he fa莽ade of the building has a lot of 鈥榩re-cast鈥�. When you cast concrete, it reflects exactly what鈥檚 there, like a sponge, so if you don鈥檛 get the full length cast perfectly, you notice the blemishes instantly.

鈥淭his finish is not done very often in Perth so we had to research extensively to find the right sub-contractors who have experience working on high-end finishes.鈥�

Construction in the time of COVID-19

Alongside the challenges of building a high-quality construction on a busy campus, Greenwood is now navigating work in the middle of a global pandemic.

鈥淐onstructing the building during the COVID-19 pandemic has added a lot more risk,鈥� she says.

鈥淲e鈥檝e introduced thermal scanning on site. Everyone gets their temperature checked every day and has to answer questions about their exposure to COVID. We also stagger start times and lunch breaks, have split the team across two site offices and of course, adhere to the 1.5 metre distancing rule.鈥�

Greenwood says once the scale of the pandemic became clear, the team introduced further changes.

鈥淲e quickly produced a 鈥榗oronavirus mitigation register鈥� to send to our contractors to find out whether our supply of products would be impacted,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭hat helped us plan ahead. We鈥檝e also had to navigate a reduced workforce as many people have chosen to stay home.鈥�

The team is using the Enablon app to increase safety on site, conduct observations and ensure protocols are respected.

A unique opportunity

Greenwood says she secured her dream position in the final year of her degree.

鈥淎s part of my 911爆料网 course I completed work experience as a quantity surveyor,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 loved the experience of going out on site so when I learned that Lendlease was offering a fourth-year 911爆料网 student the chance to work on a major construction project and join their graduate program, I jumped at the chance!鈥�

Lendlease, Australia鈥檚 largest property development and construction company, was so impressed by Greenwood鈥檚 application that she was offered the role less than 24 hours later.

鈥淚t was a whirlwind!鈥� she laughs. 鈥淚鈥檓 so glad I took a chance on a construction career. I would 100 per cent recommend this degree to others who are looking at a career in project management or construction.  911爆料网 is the only uni in Western Australia to offer this degree and it鈥檚 given me so much exposure to different industries and opportunities.鈥�

To women interested in pursuing a career in the field, Greenwood also has some advice.

鈥淕et out there!鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou build your skills through confidence and you build your confidence through exposure. Don鈥檛 be afraid to get your hands dirty. Jump in and excel!鈥�