Here is a sneak-peak into the work lives of some of this year’s PEY interns
Marawan (Civ 1T9 + PEY), IBI Group
What is your position? Provide a brief description of what you do (it’d be great if you can include some project work you’ve done in the past if it’s not confidential)
I work at IBI Group as a structural engineering intern. My main role is assisting senior structural engineers on a variety of industrial and infrastructure projects in both design and drafting. I have worked on a few LRT projects as both a designer and drafter including proposals for the Milton and Lakeshore LRT lines. I helped design both the substructure and superstructure including using SAP2000 to model the underground pedestrian tunnel and design the reinforcement, as well as designing the canopies using hand calculations. I have also worked as the Revit drafter on different projects including schools, industrial plants, and factories.
If you have to describe your work environment in 3 words, what would they be?
Friendly, informative, challenging in a good way
What are some things you wish you knew before starting the job?
I would have liked to know more about structural analysis and design. The field is so wide and detailed that coming out of third year it feels like there is a lot that we do not know yet and it hinders progress sometimes because you have to learn it on the spot. I would also have liked to know more about how the industry currently is as opposed to being taught concepts that are outdated. For instance we still learn 2-d drafting in our courses but a lot of companies are now exclusively drafting in 3-d which requires a different style and procedure of drafting.
Perks of working at your company…
The variety of projects and teams that I have worked on have allowed me to develop different skills that are really helpful in this field. The management team here is eager to develop the best engineers and they are eager to give exciting and challenging projects to us so that we can improve both our hard and soft skills. Additionally, they are very encouraging about side-projects/initiatives and are willing to invest in your ideas and allow you to lead the way. Overall, I would say that IBI is a great place to really develop and hone your skills!
Nasteha (Civ 1T9 + PEY), TTC
What is your position? Provide a brief description of what you do (it’d be great if you can include some project work you’ve done in the past if it’s not confidential)
I work as a structural engineer intern in the Subway Infrastructure department here at the TTC. I provide support to ensure that current TTC structures – subway tunnels, stations, open tracks, and bridges – are safe and structurally sound. Some of my work entails damage control by assessing excavation requests from contractors in the city building near our structures and providing limitations on proposed work. Other aspects of my position are providing analysis of structural drawings to plan out maintenance work, calculations for concrete and steel, and creating or updating existing drawings.
One project I worked on was a structural inspection of concrete drainage structures at the open tracks between Eglinton and St. Clair stations. This involved compiling all information and drawings about manholes and catch basins as they were constructed originally and assessing existing damage that might risk impact on the tracks above them. The exciting part of this project was going on track walks during subway closures in order to access these structures up close.
If you have to describe your work environment in 3 words, what would they be?
Flexible, challenging, and supportive.
What are some things you wish you knew before starting the job?
The priority level of the work our team receives is greatly varied, so some days are slow and some can be quite hectic. Since we deal with maintenance and these issues can happen at any time and impact our structures to any degree, we have to adapt on an ongoing basis to stay on top of things. It takes a while to get used to, but allows for a lot of learning from colleagues and helps with developing better work habits.
Perks of working at your company…
Free TTC pass and super cool subway track walks at night!
Reynold Chan (Infra 2T0 + PEY), Arup
What is your position? Provide a brief description of what you do (it’d be great if you can include some project work you’ve done in the past if it’s not confidential)
My position is the structural engineering intern in the buildings team at Arup. I mainly aid in the design of buildings by designing elements to resist forces, help with some drafting with some documentation and perform calculations with creation and analysis of models.
If you have to describe your work environment in 3 words, what would they be?
Adaptive, co-operative, passionate
What are some things you wish you knew before starting the job?
Personally I wish I had a firm understanding of steel structures prior to work. Coding also helps with the ease of repetitive tasks.
Perks of working at your company…
Get to work at one of the most passionate teams in the world. Being an international company, there is so much knowledge to learn. Great company that allows you to chart your path and shape yourself professional with the resources you need. Extensive exposure to many different tasks to learn something new everyday.
Tony Chi (CIV 2T0 + PEY), Arup
What is your position? Provide a brief description of what you do (it’d be great if you can include some project work you’ve done in the past if it’s not confidential)
Bridges & Civil Structures Intern – work on the design & analysis of bridges (none yet) and civil structures (retaining walls, foundations, anchorages, etc). Been working on the Finch West LRT doing things like pedestrian tunnel/MUP design and foundation design.
If you have to describe your work environment in 3 words, what would they be?
Chill, open, friendly
What are some things you wish you knew before starting the job?
That I would get a lot of real responsibilities and it would be a lot more technical than I expected. There’s also a learning curve with the software/submission standards/workflow/etc that I wasn’t prepared for
Perks of working at your company…
Lot of free food from lunch & learns, solid pay, flexibility, social events, chances to sit down with upper management
