Anshul Gupta

associate technical director, Arcadis

Expertise

Design, Project Management, Structural

Location

India

My highlights

21 years of extensive engineering and management experience

Post-graduate degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Lloyd Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) certified project auditor

A day in my life

A typical day in my life involves analysing the structures I see around me, and their behaviour and dynamics.

A part of my brain is always busy sorting structural puzzles and challenges I face in my day-to-day work.

Civil engineering is all about building and creating.

Which individual project or person inspired you to become a civil engineer?

Interestingly... I wasn’t interested in civil engineering at first and wanted to switch subjects.

However ,when I actually started studying, I realised that it was what I wanted to do.

Juggling between bending movements, shear force diagrams, structural behaviour, dynamics, and related problem solving became my inspiration and area of interest.

I could see the real-life applications of the theory I was being taught all around me.

We asked Anshul…

I would recommend a career in civil engineering because…

Civil engineering gives an insight into the core issues faced by civilisations over the centuries. It focuses on building and evolving.

A civil engineer gets to see and feel what they’ve built, thereby boosting self-confidence.

A civil engineer can also share what they’ve built with their friends and family, plus generations to come.

What’s the biggest/most complex thing you’ve made out of Lego? How long did it take you?

I once constructed a Lego doll house with my 8-year-old daughter, and it took me more than an hour to build it to her satisfaction.

Complete this phrase: I’m a civil engineer, but I’m also…

I’m a civil engineer, but I’m also a son, husband and a father.

What about being a civil engineer gets you out of bed each morning?

New design and construction techniques.

What’s one great thing that you love about civil engineering that you didn’t know until you started working in the industry?

Civil engineering is all about building and creating.

Name one civil engineering myth you’d like to bust.

There is a myth that civil engineering is for men only, and that women have no place in the industry.

However, throughout my career I’ve met some exceptional female civil engineers who have outperformed men due to their analytical skills, sharp eye for anomalies, and multitasking.

Has civil engineering helped you overcome any personal hurdles/difficulties?

Yes, civil engineering has helped me enhance my analytical skills and problem solving.

Any hobbies?

Playing cricket and badminton, enjoying nature, visiting new places, listening to music, watching movies, practising yoga, and meditating.

The Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing are probably the best known of the Forth's crossings. The Forth Bridge was completed in 1890 and is a UNESCO World Heritage site The Forth Road Bridge was the biggest long span suspension bridge outside the US when it opened in 1964. The Queensferry Crossing is the longest bridge of its type in the world.

Forth crossings

Anshul's career path

In 2000, I graduated from Aligarh Muslim University in India with a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering, obtaining an honours degree with distinction.

Around the same time, I sat the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering and secured 98.38% marks.

This got me accepted into India’s best engineering institution, the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. I pursued my post-graduate degree there, a Master of Technology in Structural Engineering. I completed this degree successfully in December 2001.

Since the start of my professional career, I’ve designed various types of steel and concrete structures, mainly for the infrastructure, industrial, and oil and gas sectors.

I’m passionate about learning various theoretical and practical applications of technology.

At the same time, I supplement my structural design experience as and when possible.

As a structural engineer, we get into a lot of detail and sometimes lose the big picture. Therefore, I decided to do an MBA.

In September 2010, I took a step further to enhance my management educational portfolio by attaining a master’s degree in Oil & Gas Management from Robert Gordon’s University, UK. This enriched my knowledge in the sector.