Phillip : Temporary Works
Design Engineer
MEng Civil Engineering, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London
I joined Balfour Beatty in 2001. My first two years were on the new West Coast Main Line project - I was a site engineer working on off- and on-track constructions.
The last major project that I worked on was the
M25 widening scheme, for junctions 12 to 15. I was fortunate to be employed in the team assembled to construct structures to facilitate the flow of traffic into and out of the new Heathrow Terminal 5 complex. I am extremely proud to have engineered the construction of two new 3-span road bridges, designed to minimise associated maintenance works.
It was also a great education. It's a team effort and you're working with people who have been working on tools for the best part of 40 years. It's humbling and a great leveller. Every new project means starting on a new team with new people. As a raw recruit, of course, everything's new, but when you start your third or fourth job, it's surprising how many familiar faces you see. There are a lot of reunions to be had through your career.
Since leaving the M25 project I have been working as a Temporary Works Design Engineer on a design secondment. In this role I design temporary schemes to facilitate construction of permanent structures. However, I still feel attached to the M25 project. I often travel to the west of England, sometimes taking a detour to drive past the bridges that I helped construct. Seeing the structures brings back memories - names and faces, good days and bad days. I feel proud to have been involved.
