Phil Pang

Name: Phil Pang
Job: Graduate civil and structural engineer
Area of work: Energy/power
Employer: Scott Wilson
Qualifications: BEng civil engineering, University of Sheffield, 2005

I’ve always been interested in the civil and structural side of buildings, and I witnessed many major projects when I lived in Hong Kong for three years. I chose the power sector because it is a diverse and fastgrowing field with a range of projects.

From concept to design

I’m responsible for designing certain structural elements of buildings and other structures for various power projects. Many of these are nuclear power structures; some are new-build projects while others involve decommissioning. Taking a design from initial concept to detailed design is a gruelling but interesting process. I get advice from my supervisor first, and then begin the process of checking and reiterating to reach the standards. It’s important to use British Standards and refer to them explicitly to make it clear that they’ve been followed. I use structural analysis program software to aid my design and then test it. I also check and audit other people’s reports and calculations.

Understanding the parameters

The first project I worked on was quite difficult as I’d never designed those elements before, but I completed the work and developed an understanding of the parameters you need to consider for any piece of work. Dealing with clients is demanding: it takes a big personality. I’d like to develop my skills in this area and get more involved in the commercial aspect of promoting our services.