Build a Bridge…and get over It!

Build A Bridge...and get over it! is a 3-day camp run by REROC in partnership with Compact Inc. The camp aims to encourage students in years 10 to 12 to consider a career in civil engineering. Over the three days, students participate in practical, hands-on activities that give them a taste of the work a civil engineer does.

Engineers from the REROC region mentor the students, supported by engineers from the NSW IPWEA and Transport for NSW. The camp is held at Borambola Sport and Recreation Centre, just outside of Wagga Wagga. The 2024 camp was funded by REROC and Compact Inc., with sponsorship from NSW IPWEA, Riverina Water, Goldenfields Water, IPWEA, and Evolution Mining.

Students attending the camp are drawn from across the REROC region, with participation limited to 24 students to ensure an optimal experience. Upon arrival, students are divided into four groups in which they will work throughout the camp. The first activities are team-building exercises, conducted by Borambola Sport and Recreation staff, to help students get acquainted.

On the first day, students participate in training sessions on topics such as soil testing, compaction testing, spatial coordinates, and laser leveling. Following the training, each group begins designing a bridge that must span a small creek. Students build a model of their design and prepare a budget as well. Once the bridge designs are completed, they are judged by both the students and the facilitator against standard criteria. The design with the highest score is declared the winner.

On the third and final day, students construct a full-scale version of the winning bridge design. The students who designed the winning bridge act as project managers, while the rest of the students serve as the construction team. The added challenge of building the bridge over water often requires students to work from kayaks during construction.

At the end of the final day, students walk across the completed bridge to receive their certificates of completion and graduate from the camp. The graduation ceremony is attended by parents, friends, and members of REROC and Compact Inc., and is followed by afternoon tea.

Build a Bridge will be happening again in 2025! For more information, contact REROC at projects@reroc.com.au.

A report detailing the camp's history from its inception in 2006 through the 2013 camp is available, and a video of the 2013 camp is included below.