Last week, we hosted a site tour for a class from Western Carolina University. The students’ courses currently focus on the areas of planning, equipment and project management, which made our large wastewater construction project the perfect place to see applicable action. The highlight of the tour was a deep excavation flanked by three cranes moving formwork, reinforcing steel and stone for backfill in addition to setting manhole sections for a vortex manhole.
We brought the group into the office trailer and conducted a Lean crash course to illustrate how the field team schedules upcoming work, inspections, and subcontractor collaboration using Nialli software and interactive smart boards. This provided a practical, hands-on application illustrating workflow navigation and effective field project management.
The students who attended the tour had great questions and positive feedback from the project visit, highlighting the importance of practical learning outside of the classroom and networking for their future construction career.