CIVILisation Belfast

CIVILisation Belfast – How Civil Engineers Make Belfast Work

October 2016

The course started with a warm welcomed and hot food and drinks to prepare us for the productive day ahead. This was followed by a taster lecture about civil engineering and how they shape the world.  It outlined the nature of the Civil Engineering course including the management and maintenance of infrastructure and the technical skills that are involved with the protection of the environment. We found the lecture very informative and inspiring especially after watching the video about the students who achieved a Guinness World Record for building the largest Meccano bridge.

After the lecture, a coach took us to the Terminal Pumping Station in Belfast where the Water Treatment Works are located. During this part of the day, we gained an insight into how civil engineers improve public health such as supplying clean drinking water and dealing with our waste effectively. This was followed by a visit to was the Belfast Harbour Commissioner’s Office. This provided information about other roles of what civil engineers in society, including water engineering and urban transportation, and how they try to find ways to make these systems more sustainable. This explanation of how civil engineers are involved in the planning of also highlighted how important civil engineering is to our economy as good transportation links are essential for business.

After these exciting tours, we were given lunch, provided by AECOM, alongside talks from structural and civil engineers. In the afternoon, we were then taken to Victoria Square where we learnt about the construction of the building, particularly the basement and how it was able to be built below the water which we found very interesting. Once we returned to the David Keir building after a long and busy day, we were rewarded with pizza, that we enjoyed, and an opportunity to ask any unanswered questions that we may have had. 

Anisa McConnell and Ada Wong, Year 14