Talent Stories | The experience of Benoît Walravens | Civil Engineer

At the time of writing, Benoit Walravens has been part of the Catalay community for just over six months. We asked him some questions about his experience.

How was life before Catalay?

I have worked for some seven years in the field of prefab concrete. I love the subject, but I wanted to see something different and discover the heavy industry sector. After a first experience where I could not really use my skills as a Civil Engineer, Catalay allowed me to discover other opportunities in the sector, where I could value what I do best!

Tell us something about your first big Catalay mission

The project that I was assigned to concerned a new building for a chocolate factory in France. After one month and a half, I was appointed as Lead Structural Engineer. The project was special in the sense that, on one hand, it was a budgeting project. Let’s say it was kind of an advanced feasibility study. On the other hand though, if the project was approved, the construction should start directly. So, there was much more practical detail than what one would normally see in the budgeting phase. It had to be treated as a project that was approved already.

The team consisted of some ten full-time engineers, all with their specialization. Then there was a project manager to tie everything together.

What were the challenges in this project?

There were quite a few! The practical detail that I mentioned, for example, was pretty challenging. Plenty of variables – such as the final dimensions and location of machinery – could change at the last minute. Another challenge was the fact that this building differs from the usual industrial steel structures we work on. It involved a lot more ‘architectural’ structure with offices and whatnot. Finally, the specific rules and regulations of building in France were always to be considered. And there are quite a few!

What were the challenges for you specifically?

 I will answer that question by listing some things that I learned from the project. Dealing with the very ‘architectural’ approach was relatively new for me, and I learned a lot from it. Then everything that had to be considered to facilitate a fast construction start after approval was very interesting to me. And learning about equipment and machinery outside my ‘prefab concrete bubble’. All in all, this project made me grow as an engineer.

Where can we admire the building that this project was about?

You can’t! It will not be built. The finished project made clear to the client that it could not be done within the set budgetary context. The project satisfied the client because they were looking for a well-founded go/no-go decision. Of course, for me as an engineer, it feels strange to have this outcome. But then again, this was how the project was intended from the beginning.

So – client happy, everybody happy?

Exactly! And I can be sure that I did my job well because Catalay’s client immediately sent me off to England for the next assignment. But as I just started there, I don’t have something very relevant to say about it yet.

How was your contact with Catalay during the project?

There was not a lot of interaction about the project because everything went pretty smoothly. So, there simply was no need for their intervention. Still, I did (and do) always feel well-supported by Catalay. For example, they offered me a project management course. I couldn’t do it because of time reasons, but the offer is still standing. 

Furthermore, the people of Catalay, including the management, are very communicative and they reply remarkably fast to questions. And even though there are roughly one hundred consultants in Catalay’s portfolio, the management knows everybody and you never feel like a ‘number’ or a ‘resource’. It’s very inspiring!

What is the added value of Catalay for you?

For me as an engineer and as a person, Catalay has a lot of added value. Here, I truly feel that I matter and that I am part of a team that effectively works as a team. For example, Catalay organizes business lunches where you meet other engineers, the business manager, and the head of the company, to exchange updates and experiences. So then at the social events that they organize you don’t need to discuss work. You can simply enjoy and socialize.

Another thing that I appreciate a lot is that there are so many occasions to meet other consultants from other fields. You learn from each other, get to know different working methods, etc. It opens your mind and is a great extra motivation.

Would you recommend Catalay to your colleagues?

Well, I think you can already understand that my answer is yes! The fact that Catalay organizes so much, besides getting interesting assignments, was the reason I joined. And I am not disappointed!