Student Toby Peach gained key insights into civil engineering as he completed a two-week placement on Esh Construction’s historic Tyne Bridge restoration project.
Studying Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cardiff University, Toby, 22, returned to his hometown to grab a great opportunity. He said: “I’d been looking for work experience around home for a while and knew about the Tyne Bridge project, so thought I’d reach out to Esh to see if there were any opportunities.
“Everyone has kept me really busy and I’ve been shadowing the team to really understand the depth of civil engineering on a live working scheme. The Tyne Bridge has got such a history for our region, so it’s been incredible to play a small part in its restoration. It’s been really interesting to go along and be involved in what is happening.”
Throughout his time on the Quayside, Toby worked alongside the Esh team, taking in key lessons on health and safety in construction, risk assessments and the importance of communication in the role. He was also able to attend collaborative planning meetings, which the team use to track project progress and pick up on any challenges to be addressed throughout the week.
He even managed to play a part in the bridge’s restoration as he supported the project engineer with identifying and marking out repairs to steel members on the bridge. Toby said the experience was quite an eye-opening one, as he was able to see first hand some of the challenges the site team has been dealing with, since getting to work on the bridge earlier this year.
He added: “It’s quite surprising to see just how much of a state the bridge had been in and seeing the repairs in action. To hear about the 900 repairs that are required in total was very surprising but you could see that the team is working hard on the solutions and putting them into practice. I’m still figuring out the areas of civil engineering I wish to pursue when I finish university, so it’s been great to speak with the team to understand their roles better.”
The Tyne Bridge has got such a history for our region, so it’s been incredible to play a part in its restoration. It’s been really interesting to go along and be involved in what is happening.”