On air with ECU City: engineering the university of the future
L-R ECU broadcasting students Sam Elliot and Will Di Fulvio with ECU City’s lead mechanical engineer Nick Randell from Stantec.
How do you build an 11-super level university campus on top of an underground busport and train line? That’s the question ECU City lead mechanical engineer Nick Randell answered in a radio interview with ECU broadcasting students on Friday 15 October.
The mechanical engineer from global firm Stantec caught up with Northside 89.7fm radio hosts Sam Elliott and Will Di Fulvio to chat about the incredible feat of engineering.
“Building on top of a busport and train lines is bringing up all sorts of engineering challenges,” said Nick.
“But it’s actually instrumental to the whole vision for the campus – being connected and urban, a true city campus.
“The busport was designed to be built over, but actually putting it into practice is a real challenge. The structure can accommodate a vertical load, but not a lateral load, so we have to ensure we brace and bridge the structure around the parts that aren’t on top of public transport.”
According to Nick, while precision engineering is vital for a strong foundation, it’s what’s happening above ground that’s most exciting.
“It’s definitely the most ambitious project I’ve been involved in,” he said.
“Once you get out of the ground, the building itself is highly complex because of the nature of all the different spaces we’re trying to put in there such as WAAPA performance venues, set making spaces, and broadcasting of course!
“It’s a really incredible architectural design and I think it will create a real sense of community between schools and students.”
With ECU’s broadcasting program moving to ECU City when it opens in 2025, the students were excited about the future possibility of coming back to the new campus after their degrees.
Tune in weekly to Northside 89.7fm from 9am on Fridays to hear the ECU Breakfast Broadcasting Show, with ECU City insights featured each week until 29 October.