Summer Placement: Farnworth Tunnel

James Featherstone is studying Civil & Stuctural Engineering and is doing his summer placement at Network Rail, working on the Farnworth Tunnel project.

I am based full-time on site at Farnworth Tunnel, a tunnel widening project as part of the wider Northern Hub electrification works which Network Rail have undertaken. The project is truly one of a kind and brings with it challenges which are new to experienced engineers and myself alike.

The site originally had two listed Victorian tunnels, built in the 1830s and 1880s. In order to be electrified, one tunnel needed to be enlarged. The two tunnels had tracks running in each direction (known as ‘up’ and ‘down’ in the railway industry). Running over the top of the tunnels is a busy motorway (the A666) and the railway service was required to be kept running while works were done.

Literally millimetres of deflection in the soil, structures or temporary works could result in closure of the railway and motorway, and worst case scenario could mean a catastrophic failure. Huge levels of risk management, mitigation methods and planning have gone into the project. This includes using steel reinforced spray concrete to strengthen the smaller tunnel while the larger tunnel is bored, grouting the soil to fill any voids, and filling the larger tunnel with 7000m3 of foam concrete to then be dug out and provide structural integrity ahead of the bore.

The most exciting part of the project personally has been seeing the 9m diameter, bespoke tunnelling machine designed and built locally specifically for the project. It is the largest tunnelling machine ever built in the UK and uses very simple civil engineering principles on a massive scale.

When I finish my placement, the 270m long bore should be nearing completion, resulting in one of the two tunnels being able to take two electrified lines side by side and the other original tunnel keeping its smaller profile to be used for maintenance and access.

My summer placement has been extremely rewarding so far – I’m working with engineers, construction managers, project managers, contractors, sub contractors, manufacturers and specialists all on one project in one team. I’ve further expanded my knowledge of how civil engineering projects actually work beyond the classroom/labs and have learnt how applicable my studies are.

Success for SELA's second cohort

Fourteen first year engineering students have been chosen to be part of the 2015 SELA cohort, the second since the leadership programme launched last year.

The candidates won their places on the prestigious programme through a rigorous selection process, involving a detailed application and interview.

The fourteen chosen are studying a wide range of engineering disciplines, including mechanical, structural, automatic control and systems engineering and materials science and engineering.

Mechanical engineering student and keen sportsman, Sam Barnes, was drawn to the subject through his love of cars and bikes, having spent most of his teenage years mending and maintaining his bicycles at home.  He hopes one day to run his own engineering business and says of the SELA programme: “I’m looking forward to learning how best to combine the knowledge gained from my degree with the management and leadership skills that SELA offers, to become a successful engineer.”

Beth Fenna became interested in engineering following volunteer work abroad, which made her keen to learn how engineering knowledge can be used to solve global issues. She is studying Structural Engineering and Architecture and is interested in how collaborations work between the two disciplines. “I’m looking forward to gaining valuable insight from the industry’s leaders through SELA, as well as working alongside and learning from other members of the programme,” she says.

Ben Quickfall hopes SELA will help him to develop into a well-rounded engineer, by improving his interpersonal and leadership skills. His degree – in Mechatronics and Robotics – already combines aspects of several of the traditional engineering  disciplines, including control, mechanical and electrical engineering. “It’s quite a niche subject, but very diverse, which was what attracted me to it,” he says. “Combining the technical knowledge I gain from my studies with the skills gained through SELA will be beneficial. I’m particularly looking forward to working on the programme’s long-term project with the rest of the cohort.”

From space to semiconductors, nerve guides to Network Rail

The 2014 SELA cohort are preparing for their first summer placements – a key element in the SELA programme – which are due to start next month.

 

Several students have secured 8-10 week placements with major engineering firms. These include:

• ARM, a leading designer and supplier of semiconductor technology
• Alan Wood & Partners, civil and structural engineering consultants
• Cambridge Consultants,  product development engineering and technology consultants
• Network Rail
• Caterva, which designs solar energy storage systems

 

Some of the cohort have decided to carry out their first placement in research. The projects they will be working on with the University’s Faculty of Engineering include:

• Additive manufacturing (3D printing) of metallic materials for aerospace
• Space engineering in the low earth orbit
• Nuclear waste disposal
• Implants to enable nerve repair
• Self-healing composite materials
• Battery technology, including 3D printing batteries

Extolling the value of leadership programmes

SELA Director, Professor Neil Hopkinson, was featured recently in The Engineer, writing in support of the importance of undergraduate leadership programmes like SELA. Professor Hopkinson says: “There are now plenty of excellent initiatives to get school children interested in science and engineering, and these are feeding through to increasing applications at degree level. Targeting more specific leadership programmes at undergraduate level is now needed. Those that walk through the door of our universities, signed up to a four-year Masters in engineering, are all high quality candidates, destined for a great career. But also among them are some exceptional individuals who have what it takes to play a leadership role in the sector.”

Read more: www.theengineer.co.uk/students/looking-for-tomorrows-engineering-leaders/1020328.article#ixzz3bFz53PNg