Duncan Shaw - Graduate Engineer

Describe what you do.

I am a Civil Engineer working on motorway maintenance projects in the UK. I am responsible for analysing the condition of motorway pavements and related assets, to produce a maintenance programme.

What are you currently working on?

Currently I am working on the maintenance of motorways in Northern Ireland, concentrating on pavement condition and preventive maintenance methods.

What or who inspired you to become an engineer?

At school I was inspired by the buildings and infrastructure around me. Living in Fife, I often travelled to and from Edinburgh crossing the Forth rail/road bridges.

The thing that interested me in civil engineering was the mystery of how things came to be and being able to show people what you have worked on.

What excites you about Scottish engineering?

Scottish engineering is a small industry in comparison to the US and on the Continent. The size of the Scottish engineering industry means that you have more opportunities to get involved in large interesting engineering projects on your doorstep.

Where do you see developments in your field in the future?

Civil engineering is such a broad subject and as such my future in the industry will never remain exactly the same. As such I see the civil engineering industry growing (again) in around two years, quite rapidly. The underspend in sectors of engineering will bolster the need for large-scale investment in the future. It is likely that the underspend and recent bad winters will change the public's perception of engineering funding, adding to government pressure to fund more engineering-related subjects.

Development of new technology and ideas is something which will always progress year on year. However I think the approval of these new ideas and technology from local authorities and the government is the main thing which will develop, allowing society to see engineering developments that have already been made.