What does the assignment look like?

​NEDCON designs and calculates rack structures in house, and Structural Engineers ensure that the constructions are not only designed for the specified loading conditions in accordance with the applicable building codes (Eurocode, AISI, etc), but also that it is as optimised and lean as possible.

Every project presents its own challenges and learning experiences. Project specific circumstances can require testing, site visits, non-standard components selection for the structure, etc. This implies that we not only use our knowledge but also build a lot of new knoweldge during project execution. As NEDCON continues to achieve new milestones, as we continue to make challenging concepts on paper a reality, we are faced with a challenge of managing our knowledge, learnings and practices. This brings us to the assignement. As an intern working within the SE department of NEDCON, your task will be to harmonize and centralize various knowledge resources that are regularly used by Structural Engineers within NEDCON. This includes, but is not limited to work instructions, test results, simulation reports, product specifications, country specifc local norms, etc.

The assigment

Step 1: Learning and discovery.

You start with an introduction to our products and design methods. You will also conduct exploratory interviews with key stakeholders (such as our Head of Structural Engineering, Head of ICT and Head of Products and Technology). These interviews will help you understand the needs of our engineers and the structure of our processes.

Step 2: Tool selection and design.

With your technical insight and stakeholder input, you determine which tool or platform is suitable to collect our knowledge centrally. You think about usability, search capabilities and extensibility.

Step 3: Implementation and validation.

You develop a clear format for recording and presenting the information. To make sure everything is correct, you carry out practical validations. These may include:

• Analytical calculations and FEM simulations to test design approaches.
• Calculating cross-sectional properties
• Performing strength and stiffness checks on specific profiles.

The aim of your assignment is to create a central knowledge base in which all the necessary information is collected in a well-organised way and directly applicable for future projects. Your work lays the foundation for more efficient working methods, not only for our current engineers, but also for future generations.