Jacobs Consultancy UK
You can never start too early to become a traffic engineer
The Engineering Education Scheme provided by the Royal Academy of Engineering takes place annually from October to April. It teams up engineering companies with schools from around the North East region of England to undertake real planning and design challenges faced by engineers in the working world. Jacobs Consultancy (Newcastle), one of the world's largest users of the PTV Vision software suite, was teamed with St Anthony´s High School Sunderland. The brief given to the all-girl team was based on a real traffic project which involved the design of a new junction close to the girls' school.
The students who were aged 16 and 17 used the crossing at the junction to get to their school. However, many pupils walking to and from school cross the road at uncontrolled points further down from the junction to avoid waiting at the signalised crossings as they take a long time to turn green for pedestrians. Cars are also often caught in congestion caused by the bus lane. Participants in the Engineering Education Scheme all lived near to the junction and knew these problems very well. The girls were keen to solve them with the help of modern traffic planning software. Jacobs' team provided support within the scope of the education programme.
The students were given a half day workshop to learn how to construct their network and import a background into the model. They designed several solutions for the junction; drafted the designs in AutoCAD, developed models in VISSIM of each solution to obtain a best solution and final design, and then they developed their VISSIM model further with a coloured plan background and 3D models of houses and structures in the area of the junction. The transport modelling software VISSIM allowed the students to understand the multi-disciplinary aspect of traffic engineering where all ideas and thought processes can be visualised, and the impacts are better understood.
Laura Tweddle, a member of Jacobs' team of consultants, says: "VISSIM is a good way to introduce students to transport modelling as it is very user friendly and intuitive due to the visual element of the package. The software motivated the students to develop a comprehensive 3D environment for the model that enabled them to show a non technical audience the output of their technical work."
The girls established from early tests that a signalised cross road would be the best solution for the junction. They also designed a bus gate linked to the traffic signals which was set further back from the stop line of the junction so that turning traffic would be able to negotiate the junction without queuing back.
"The most important part of the scheme was educating the students about engineering, and showing them how engineers can help to make their built environment a better place,” Laura Tweddle sums up. "But it has also been an exciting project for us. We will consider the solutions developed by the girls as real alternatives which will be included in the wider corridor assessment that Jacobs is undertaking."
Jacobs Consultancy
Jacobs Consultancy is part of the Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., which is one of the world's largest and most diverse providers of professional technical services. The company provides services to a wide range of clients in the public and private sectors, as well as international financing institutions and development agencies. Its services comprise road transport, railways, aviation, ports and shipping, mixed mode, and infrastructure and services.
Engineering Education Scheme
The Engineering Education Scheme (EES) allows students to learn about Engineering, work in a team on a real project and visit Newcastle University for a residential week. The EES links engineering, applied science and technology companies with talented students to solve real problems set by the companies. As a result of taking part in the Engineering Education Scheme 89% of the students go on to study engineering or associated science / IT / technical degrees at university.
