The Challenge

Prior to the fieldcourse our students are:

• Pre-allocated into project teams (each of about 18 students).
• Set an individual assignment to research and write a report on the design and construction of a corresponding real (i.e. full-scale) project. 

The students only receive the briefing packs for their (scaled-down) project when they board the coach for the journey to the Constructionarium.  These packs contain a description of the site and the required structure together with the necessary engineering drawings.

Each project team must first organise itself against a pre-defined list of team roles.  Work then starts compiling a project plan and tender price (against given "rates").  A bid must be submitted as soon as possible on the first day to deliver the completed project, to an agreed budget, by the specified time on the fifth day of the fieldcourse.  Once their bid has been formally accepted, and the initial method statements and risk assessments have been approved, a project team is able to start work onsite.  At the start of each subsequent working day, the management group from each project team must attend a formal meeting with the Site Manager to review progress and expenditure.

Technical and practical advice and training is provided to the students as appropriate by all members of the site staff. Each project team is charged for all materials and plant used and for any direct assistance.

The aim is to create a highly realistic (if compressed) construction project experience.  The projects are necessarily scaled down.  However, they are sufficiently large to present a substantial engineering and physical challenge. Thus the students are exposed to real and very recognisable problems.  For example, is it better to employ hand tools or hire expensive plant?

The challenges already faced by our student project teams were to:

• Build a four metre square 25 ton reinforced concrete oil rig in a dry dock, float out into a lake and install on a prepared bed.
• Construct a 9m tall communications tower: 6m high guyed reinforced concrete mast, fabricate a metal exoskeleton and spire and jack these into location .
• Construct a 4m high clay core hydroelectric dam (across a gorge) with diversion dam, spillway and ski jump.
• Pre-cast reinforced concrete components for a building with a 4m span vaulted arch roof, construct insitu concrete foundations and erect using a 50t crane.
• Pre-cast two 5m reinforced concrete deck units for a bridge over an estuary, dam and dewater to construct two piled foundations, install bearings, columns and the deck units. Rotate the latter to meet in the middle.
• Build an underground station: sink 4.5m diameter access shaft, build RC ring beam and stub columns and erect 6m cantilever roof canopy.
• Pre-cast reinforced concrete components for a 10m span cable-stayed bridge over a river, build foundations and anchorage block, erect the bridge.

Suggested next page

• Click here for information about the Constructionarium.