Civil Engineering & Architecture Students visit EFCO Corp

Students from the Civil Engineering & Architecture class at Central Campus had the opportunity to visit Des Moines based EFCO, a world leading provider of concrete formwork on Thursday, October 30th. The visit was led by CAD Manager Jon Crowson who showed the students some of the history of EFCO and various developments of the EFCO concrete form, designed by founder W. A. Jennings in 1934. Mr. Crowson showed the students EFCO’s training center where the company trains its clients on the proper use and set up of the equipment they provide. Civil Engineer Steve Halverson showed students examples of unique projects and how they were developed and managed with an emphasis on organization and standardization. Mr. Halverson also shared his educational background and experience and advised students on desire skills and characteristics. Students were able to see how EFCO developed solutions for design problems and how they are translated and tested with computer aided design.

Students were amazed at the size and scope of the projects that EFCO has had a hand in building such as the new Freedom Tower in New York (World Trade Center Tower One), Trump Tower in Las Vegas, the San Diego Convention Center, O’ Hare International Airport in Chicago, Eastlands Stadium in Manchester, England, and Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts to name a few.

Human Resources Manager Doug Uhlenhopp addressed the students about career paths and opportunities, soft skills needed in the work place, and importance of gaining hands on experience as an engineer.

The experience provided students the connection with what they are learning in their Civil Engineering and Architecture course at Central Campus and civil engineering projects that benefit society, as well as the employability skills that industry desire in their employees. Students were accompanied on the trip by Clinton Gadbury, program instructor.

Civil Engineering and Architecture is a third level course and part of the Project Lead The Way program at Central Campus. Students take the first two years of PLTW courses (Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering) at their home schools, then have the opportunity to take the specialization courses Civil Engineering & Architecture, Digital Electronics/Robotics, Computer Science & Software Engineering, and complete the sequence by taking Capstone: Engineering Design & Development as a senior at Central Campus.

For more information, feel free to contact Mr. Gadbury at clinton.gadbury@dmschools.org.

For more information on the PLTW program and Civil Engineering & Architecture course at Central Campus, please visit https://centralcampus.dmschools.org/engineering/.

For more information about EFCO, please visit http://www.efcoforms.com.