Welcome

These web pages describe an innovative fieldcourse which we offer to our undergraduate students in the School of Civil Engineering at the end of their second year.  Delivered in conjunction with our industrial partners Shepherd Construction and Arup, this course challenges our students to deploy their theoretical knowledge and practical skills on a reduced (but still substantial) scale construction project over an extended period of five days at the "Constructionarium".

The Constructionarium is a new hands-on construction experience for students and young professionals. The dedicated Constructionarium site is located at the National Construction College site at Bircham Newton, it comprises two site compounds and large project area featuring lakes, a dry dock, a ravine, "rivers" and other topological features.

The participating students are in project teams, each team constructs a scaled-down but substantial version of a bridge, building, or civil engineering projects over five day period. Students are assessed on the final day in terms of budgetary control, methodology and timely completion.

The main organisational model of the Constructionarium consists of a university, contractor and consultant working in partnership to deliver a new learning experience which combines the academic perspective with those of the design professional and practical site delivery.

The strategic aim of the fieldcourse is to create a step-change in how students relate design to constructability, and thus to enhance student learning and student understanding of a wide spectrum of design and construction related issues.

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• Click here for quotes from our students about the fieldcourse.