Nathalie Richards
Principal engineer, Project Centre Limited
Expertise
Project Management, Design, StructuralLocation
LondonMy highlights
The first time something I designed got procured - an expansion joint for the Thurrock bridge
The completion of concrete repairs that I identified the need for and designed
Being nominated for the 2022 Women in Construction and Engineering Awards
A day in my life
A working day includes many different things, it’s a job where you have to swap and prioritise different tasks as you go along, no two are the same!
My current work is mainly related to asset management, keeping existing structures in service and ensuring infrastructure is safe.
In this world of climate change, asset management is as important, if not more, than developing new, and in my opinion, it’s very rewarding, too.
So, for example, I might check structure inspection reports to identify any defects that may need addressing. I could also be specifying structural investigations to determine appropriate repair methodologies.
Alongside this, I have project management responsibilities. These require me to prepare programmes, assign people to tasks, assess the financial status of projects and liaise with the client and colleagues.
I also love teaching junior colleagues to undertake all these tasks and more.
Chartership status... proves to me I am competent and a valuable member of society in a way I have strived to be.
Which individual project or person inspired you to become a civil engineer?
We asked Nathalie…
I would recommend a career in civil engineering because…
You can be part of developing infrastructure that provides communities the opportunity to thrive.
In my role as a structural civil engineer, that could be by:
- maintaining a footbridge over a railway to keep a connection between two sides of a village;
- designing a wall to retain earth so a road can be built; or
- undertaking vital inspections of structures to ensure they’re safe for the public to use.
Complete this phrase: I’m a civil engineer, but I’m also …
An aunt and a runner!
What about being a civil engineer gets you out of bed each morning?
Knowing that what I do could make a difference to the environment people are living in.
Whether that be unseen such as inspecting structures to check they’re safe and sustainably maintained, or looking at ways to improve infrastructure to improve people’s lives.
What’s one great thing that you love about civil engineering that you didn’t know until you started working in the industry?
Hard to pick out one thing, I had no idea how much of my day-to-day life has relied on civil engineers’ work. But I think the one I would put forward is the ability to innovate with new materials and technologies to maintain infrastructure sustainably.
Name one civil engineering myth you’d like to bust.
That civil engineering is a male profession.
Has civil engineering helped you overcome any personal hurdles/difficulties?
It's given me belief in myself. Especially with gaining chartership status, it proves to me I am competent and a valuable member of society in a way I have strived to be.
What motivated you, or is motivating you, to become professionally qualified?
Being part of an internationally recognised institution that supports the development of sustainable infrastructure through the sharing of knowledge and influencing policy decisions and industry regulation.
What does being professionally qualified with the ICE mean for your career?
The achievement of obtaining a title and recognition as a competent civil engineer that I strived for over many years.
What’s the best thing about being professionally qualified with the ICE?
Although I'm not looking for a new role at the minute, the qualification opens up many roles that require chartership.
How did the ICE and your employer support you to become professionally qualified?
I had regular contact with my ICE membership development officers, they changed during the years I was a trainee but there was always a seamless transition.
Each one has always given clear and helpful advice. I was supported by my employer through a delegated engineer and supervising civil engineer. Both had been through the training programme and therefore knew what the ICE wants in a civil engineer.
This led to getting the required training and projects to provide the experience to become the rounded civil engineer that the ICE are looking for.
What do you value most about being an ICE member?
The access to a wealth of knowledge through events, lectures, the ICE library and networks.
What’s the biggest/most complex thing you’ve made out of Lego? How long did it take you?
A house with three floors! I don’t remember how long it took as it was quite a while ago. But if I had access to Lego it would be fun to do it again.
How has being a member helped your career?
It has given me direction and clarity in my development.
Any hobbies?
I love woodwork. I don’t walk past a skip with wood that I see potential in. I double check it’s being thrown out, and if so, take it to make into a bench, shelving unit, or bathroom cupboard.
Nathalie's career path
- A-levels: art, philosophy and ethics, maths (not the classic civil engineering set!)
- Foundation year in engineering at the University of Nottingham to get the qualifications I needed to take the degree course
- Master's degree in civil engineering at the University of Nottingham
Major projects
- Thurrock bridge inspection programme
- Concrete testing and repair
- Preliminary design of the Orchard Road footbridge replacement
