by Rebecca Farnan (MAI, MIEI)

I recently joined PMCE after graduating from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in 2021 with an Integrated Master’s Degree (MAI) in Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering. I wanted to become part of a team where my engineering skills could be challenged, and where I could gain ‘practical’ experience in areas that I enjoyed studying at college, which were typically in Transport and Design. This has definitely been the case at PMCE.

Since arriving at PMCE, I have had the opportunity to get involved in many different projects ranging in scale, discipline, and complexity. This has widely broadened my knowledge of transport engineering and kept the days interesting. The types of projects I have mainly worked on can be broken down as follows:

• Traffic Analysis – these projects include Traffic and Transport Assessments, where I have learned, in depth, how to use traffic modelling programmes like Junctions 9 and LinSig. I have used these software packages to assess how a proposed scheme/development will impact the surrounding road network, and to develop design options where capacity or feasibility issues have arisen.
• Collision Analysis – this type of work has seen me analysing big collision data sets that have been collected on a particular road over an extended period of time. I analyse the collision data to find the reason(s) why a type of collision pattern or cluster may be occurring in a specific area, and propose measures that would mitigate further collisions.
• Highway Design – I have assisted in several design projects, which have involved junction improvement schemes, geometric design, public realm and urban improvement schemes, and most recently a Park & Share Pilot scheme near the M1 Motorway. Working on these projects has meant that my skills in AutoCAD and AutoCAD Civil 3D have hugely improved.
• Road Safety Auditing – I am currently in the process of becoming a Road Safety Auditor, which is an important part of the work done at PMCE. I feel that learning about the auditing process and gaining an understanding of the importance of safety in transportation schemes will make me a better designer, whilst also contributing to a safer environment.

I am delighted to be a member of this team. My colleagues have been very welcoming and have cultivated a positive and encouraging working environment. I’ve had plenty of support, but have also been given my fair share of responsibility, which means I am constantly being challenged, and learning each day.

About the Author: Rebecca Farnan is a Graduate Engineer at PMCE, having joined in 2021. Rebecca graduated with a first class honours Masters degree in Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering at Trinity College Dublin. Rebecca has quickly developed skills in Traffic Modelling, Road Safety Engineering, Geometric Design, and Traffic Impact Assessments.