People of the Project: Emdad Balanji, the site engineer

The Westmead Redevelopment team has interviewed Multiplex site engineer Emdad Balanji. After migrating to Australia to study, Emdad has recently taken on his first construction role in Australia on the Westmead Redevelopment project.

What are you working on right now?

Currently, I’m scheduling reinforcement materials (which are used in construction of the building walls) to arrive on-site at specific times and in specific locations. I’m also doing a review of the structure drawings and ensuring that the building is being built to the specifications, as laid out in the plans. If there is something wrong or defective, I’m responsible for informing the subcontractor to rectify the works.

How long have you been on the job?

I’ve been on the job for four months now. I started in September 2017.

What does your average day look like?

I usually start at 6:30am. From there, I usually do a site-walk until 10am. After that, I will go to the office and check through my emails; usually there’s a request for information which needs to be responded to. I’ll then come back onto site and check on how works are progressing until we have our 3pm meeting back at the office. And finally I’ll check and respond to emails until the end of the day.

What do you like most about working in your specific role?

This is my first role in Australia! Prior to this, I was working in construction overseas in Iraq and in Turkey. I spent a large portion of time studying in Australia and completed a PhD – after that I found this role.

How does working at Westmead compare to other job sites?

Working onsite in Australia, there is a much larger focus on safety. Sometimes we even stop work here due to weather conditions, for instance.

What’s something you’ll take away from working at Westmead after you finish?

First-hand experience. Compared to what I studied, it’s a vastly different environment at the forefront of an actual jobsite. There’s certainly a gap between studying and practical experience.