Drawing on design skills for tip-top trains
Civil Engineering Design projects are a vital component of our undergraduate curriculum, offering students a chance to tackle real-world engineering briefs from external companies.
Ethan Owi and a team of fellow 4th year MEng Civil Engineering students, took on the challenge of designing a new train care facility, navigating several complex obstacles along the way…
Can you briefly describe the project you worked on?
Our group project, pitched by Arcadis, focused on supporting a new Train Care Facility in Holyhead. This specialised maintenance depot will service, inspect, repair, and upkeep trains.
The site is located upon an existing railway yard and depot which posed two main design challenges: space constraints and varied ground conditions. The area is small, bordered by an active railway and retaining wall, with half the site on hard, shallow bedrock and the other half on weak, soft soil from an old pond.
As part of our group project we got to:
- Create an accurate map of the underground conditions
- Determine the right properties of the soil and rock
- Plan a new access road through the existing depot structures
What was your favourite part of the project?
For me, the highlight of the project was the creative freedom and opportunity we had to collaborate as a team. It allowed us to consolidate our knowledge from the past three years and focus on the aspects of the project that genuinely interested us the most.
Brainstorming together was great – we explored ideas and made sure that our solutions for each design element complemented one another. Analysing the interconnectedness of the system’s elements helped us understand their relationships. The constant discussions kept the group engaged and motivated, and we we’re so passionate to deliver the best possible design.
The project also showed us how theories are applied in real-world settings, something I hadn’t experienced firsthand in the classroom. This practical application deepened my understanding and made me appreciate my chosen field even more.
Did you face any challenges? How did you handle them?
The biggest challenge in the project was designing the foundation for the new maintenance facility. The main difficulty came from the ground, which had very different conditions in different parts of the site. In the north, the bedrock was close to the surface, while in the south, the bedrock was much deeper and covered by soft clay. This variation made it hard to keep the building from settling unevenly.
To solve this problem, we used a combined approach that involved both structural and geotechnical design. We designed beams that could support the gantry crane without settling unevenly and developed a hybrid foundation system that worked well with both the shallow and deep bedrock areas, so that the building could settle evenly.
We overcame this challenge by working closely together and keeping in regular dialogue. We repeatedly adjusted the loads, the size of the structural elements above ground, and the depth of the foundations to find the right balance. We also got valuable advice from our industrial and academic supervisors to guide us through the process.
What was it like working with an industry professional on this project?
Our industrial supervisors provided unique and practical insights into things like sourcing materials, construction methods, and cost control.
They also taught us industry practices, such as presenting project briefs professionally with clear visuals and RFI sheets – a formal document used in construction and engineering projects to request clarification or additional information about aspects of the project that are unclear. This gave us valuable insight into the role of an engineering consultant.
Ultimately, we viewed the project holistically, considering not only technical aspects but also the impact of design choices on costs, logistics, and ease of construction. It gave us a broader perspective that would allow us to deliver a more well-rounded and thoughtful design.
What did you learn from this experience?
One of my biggest takeaways for me was understanding how various design disciplines—water, structures, systems, geotechnics—interconnect. In the classroom, we studied each area separately, but this project showed how they work together in real-world engineering. It was a perfect learning opportunity and a true test of group work and communication as civil engineers.
What Arcadis had to say
Ethan and his team were excellent. They worked well together, asked thoughtful and pertinent questions, were well organised with the project kick-off, and grasped the essence of what was being asked.
The general experience of working closely with undergraduate students, to provide real design briefs, with real data, is invaluable to the students, but also a great experience for us in industry too because its enjoyable to share knowledge and foster understanding, and give future engineers a taste of real-world problems.