Kevin Myers

Name: Kevin Myers
Title: Undergraduate
Division: Geotechnical
Location: Wetherby
Degree: BEng Civil Engineering, University of Teesside

I spent fifteen months working for Keller Ground Engineering as a Trainee Estimating Civil Engineer, designing, pricing and ultimately winning work for their Geotechnical Division based in Wetherby.

As a mature student I decided to do a placement as I had been self-employed for five years to fund my education, and felt I had lost the habit of working in teams and being accountable. I wanted the chance to produce plans, prepare design calculations and formulate balanced arguments, and ultimately I felt that if I could prove myself with a market leading Civil Engineering Company it would be beneficial to my future employment prospects.

During my time as an estimator I dealt with several geotechnical structural elements (Minipiles, Soil Nails, Compaction Grouting etc.) but my main role was in the environmental engineering team. As part of this team I helped design and tender for two major product lines, Dry Deep Soil Mixing (DDSM) and Bentonite Cement Slurry Cut-off Walls.

For any geotechnical project to be a successful it is vital that the civil engineer has a comprehensive understanding of the construction process, from the initial feasibility study to tendering, design, procurement, planning, construction, invoicing, and final hand-over. 

On several larger tenders I worked on, Keller utilised my planning skills and I wrote the programme for several major compaction-grouting projects, which formed an integral part of KGE’s offer.

In conclusion, I feel my time at Keller has been vital in transforming me from a student of Civil Engineering, into a functioning Civil Engineer.