Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED

Engineers spend too much time fixing broken data instead of focusing on high-level design. This inefficiency, known as workflow friction, is a major enemy of modern construction projects.
This episode explores how intelligent automation and verified software can eliminate manual rework and enhance global collaboration. We discuss the crucial challenge of trust between engineers and fabricators, the necessity of specialised AI solutions, and the innovations of Trim BIM.
Our guest is David Sanderson, a former site engineer who now leads Product Strategy for Trimble’s structural tools. He offers a unique 40-year perspective, having witnessed the digital transformation of engineering since 1982
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Accidentally invented structural software in 1982
Lack of trust creates workflow friction
Specialised AI best for tedious tasks
Commercial value prioritises software features
Contractual deliverable is still 2D drawing
GUEST DETAILS
David Sanderson is the Senior Product Manager for Structural Design Products at Trimble. His expertise is rooted in structural design, leading product strategy for major tools like Tekla Structural Designer, and championing the use of verified, quality-assured software in the industry.
Connect with David Sanderson, Senior Product Manager for Structural Design Products at Trimble:
PUBLIC CONTACT DETAILS: https://www.trimble.com/en/products/tekla
SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-sanderson-49926852/
MORE INFORMATION
Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/   
Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.
QUOTES
The contractual deliverable is still a 2d drawing, believe it or not. - David Sanderson
The biggest issue that I can see now is that within a project, you've got many stakeholders. - David Sanderson
People have got to start accepting other people's models on trust, in my view. - David Sanderson
KEYWORDS 
#StructuralEngineering #IntelligentAutomation #WorkflowFriction #TrimBIM #PortalFrameDesign

Building and maintaining Ireland's vital coastal infrastructure requires facing the relentless challenge of climate change and rising sea levels. Protecting the country's six dedicated fishery harbour centres and their multi-million euro capital programme demands innovative engineering and strict public spending compliance.
This episode explores the high-stakes engineering required to adapt harbours for tomorrow, deploying modern tools like GIS and drones for efficiency, and the unexpected permitting hurdles government departments must navigate. You will also hear about the fascinating complexities of Noel’s private sector career, including the challenging Dunboy Castle restoration and the mammoth Opera Lane basement construction in Cork City.
We are delighted to welcome Chief Engineer at the Marine Engineering Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Noel Clancy, who shares his journey from Cork construction sites to leading national coastal upgrades.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Career journey from private to public.
Restoring Dunboy Castle from ruins.
Constructing deep basements in Cork City.
Managing Ireland's fishery harbour centres.
Designing coastal infrastructure for climate change.
GUEST DETAILS
Noel Clancy is the Chief Engineer in Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, leading the Marine Engineering Division. A civil engineering graduate and Fellow of Engineers Ireland, he is renowned for modernising public sector projects with GIS mapping and drone inspections. He manages the operation, maintenance, and capital upgrades for state fishery harbours while promoting lifelong learning and mentoring young engineers
Connect with Noel:
PUBLIC CONTACT DETAILS: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/biographies/noel-clancy/
SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noel-clancy-41989738
MORE INFORMATION
Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/   
Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.
QUOTES
So the better the information that we have at the front end, the better chance we have of not getting into dispute with the contractor.  - Noel Clancy 
"It's very important to have a relationship, and it's very important to have no surprises, you know, so to have everything properly planned. - Noel Clancy 
One key thing is adaption, and essentially that's changing what you have to deal with, what you know is going to happen. - Noel Clancy 
KEYWORDS #MarineEngineering #CoastalAdaptation #CivilEngineering #PublicSectorProjects #FisheryHarbours

Achieving Ireland's ambitious decarbonisation goals and meeting climate action targets requires massive investment and innovative engineering solutions across the energy sector. This is compounded by the increasing digitisation of our infrastructure and the need to deliver reliable power to a growing economy.
This conversation explores the strategic response to the climate and energy crisis, examining the future makeup of the Irish power system, the explosive growth of solar power, and how data and artificial intelligence are revolutionising asset management. We also look at the evolving role of engineers, the importance of complementary commercial skills, and how to advance your career in the sector.
Joining the discussion is Siobhán McHugh, Director and the Energy and Utilities Consulting Lead at PwC Ireland, and the current Chairperson of the Energy, Environment and Climate Action Division at Engineers Ireland. Her experience spans regulation, grid operation, and strategic consulting.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Career progression diverse energy roles
AI data transforming asset management
Solar generation exceeded cost projections
Infrastructure delivery policy advocacy
Human skills complement technical expertise
GUEST DETAILS
Siobhán McHugh is a Director and the Energy and Utilities Consulting Lead at PwC Ireland, where she advises clients in the electricity, water, and gas sectors on large-scale digital and energy transformation projects. Her expertise draws heavily on her deep operational background from EirGrid and a regulatory background from the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), giving her a rare whole-system view of the industry. She also serves as the current Chairperson of the Energy, Environment and Climate Action Division at Engineers Ireland.
Connect with Siobhán:
PUBLIC CONTACT DETAILS
www.pwc.ie/industries/energy-and-renewables/team.html
Social Media:
www.linkedin.com/in/siobhanmchugh/?originalSubdomain=ie
MORE INFORMATION
Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/   
Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.
QUOTES
So I'd say a lot of the challenges probably have a hidden positive in them, in that it's an advancement in technology, but it's just about figuring it out. - Siobhán McHugh
You're always working with people, and so that is the piece of experience. I think you need to help build your younger colleagues. - Siobhán McHugh
If I think of solar energy when we would have been modelling it, it was completely different cost basis, solar was quite expensive. That cost has come down now. - Siobhán McHugh

KEYWORDS
#EnergyTransition #IrishGrid #EngineeringCareers #DataAndAI #ClimateAction

Engineering faces housing crisis, climate change crisis and biodiversity crisis simultaneously requiring everyone onboard with diversity of thought for new solutions.

Danny Pio Murphy shares how sustainable swords strategy engaged 800 school children and hundreds of adults through covid restrictions, why plumburroughs greenfield site allowed testing protected cycle infrastructure before design manuals existed, how DBFI Consulting Engineers achieved gold accreditation investors for diversity with 85% inclusivity score, and why half LGBT engineers remain closeted through fear despite marriage equality referendum changing Irish society fundamentally.

The chartered transportation engineer, associate director at DBFL Consulting Engineers and former chair of engineers Ireland inclusion diversity society discusses mentoring graduates through four year development programmes, intelligent mobility hubs coming online Cork Docklands, and why people skills matter as much as technical expertise when moving from engineer to leadership.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Kids want safer routes school cycling tracks greening
Greenfield sites test new infrastructure before manuals exist
Half LGBT engineers closeted through fear workplace safety
Gold diversity accreditation 85% inclusivity score achieved
Intelligent mobility hubs drone technology electric charging future

GUEST DETAILS

Danny Pio Murphy is chartered transportation engineer and associate director at DBFL Consulting Engineers, leading sustainable Swords strategy transforming town into 100,000 person city and plumburroughs strategic development zone creating 23,000 residents with 25,000 jobs. 

A former LGBT activist for nine years giving wellbeing lectures across Ireland and UK, he chaired Engineers Ireland inclusion diversity society and helped DBFL achieve gold accreditation investors for diversity held by only 28 organisations nationally. 

His achievements include pioneering protected cycle infrastructure before Irish design manuals existed, increasing company female representation from low base to quarter over five years, and mentoring graduates through four year chartership development programmes whilst supporting diversity networks across 30 nationalities.

Connect with Danny:

PUBLIC CONTACT DETAILS
 Website:  www.dbfl.ie
Social Media:
 www.linkedin.com/in/dannypiomurphy/?originalSubdomain=ie 

MORE INFORMATION

Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? 
Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/   

Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.

QUOTES

"We're facing a great challenge here in engineering, because we're facing a housing crisis, a climate change crisis, biodiversity crisis. We need everyone on board to help us with that, and we need different points of views and a diversity of thought for new solutions. - Danny Pio Murphy
The kids were saying that they want safer routes to school, cycle tracks. They wanted more public transport and actually more greening around our town as well. They were very environmentally conscious. They wanted more seating areas and greening. It was really good to hear that. They're always so positive. - Danny Pio Murphy
There's a lot of things that we as engineers can see on paper and we're following standards, but the local knowledge is indispensable at times, and you can include that in your designs. - Danny Pio Murphy
We got gold accreditation in investors for diversity by Irish Centre for diversity. It's only held by 28 organisations in the country. - Danny Pio Murphy
"My first job interview, I had LGBT on my CV. The person doing the interview didn't read my CV, and when they got there, they stopped for 10 seconds in silence, and they were very uncomfortable seeing that I was an LGBT activist and I didn't get the job. - Danny Pio Murphy

KEYWORDS

#SustainableTransport #DiversityInEngineering #LGBTEngineers #IntelligentMobility #CycleInfrastructure

Construction sector faces urgent decarbonisation challenge whilst Ireland maintains only 11% women in engineering unchanged since 2011 despite ambitious housing and infrastructure targets requiring diverse workforce expansion.
Susan McGarry, Managing Director for Ireland at Ecocem pioneering low carbon concrete company, explains journey from Greenpeace member receiving Rainbow Warrior dolphin pictures to becoming youngest MD at 30 years old, how ACT advanced cement technology reduces clinker from 85% to under 30% achieving 600 kilos CO2 savings per tonne, why Irish regulatory system lacks assessment route for new low carbon materials despite ambitious National Development Plan targets, and how cancer diagnosis at 34 prompted reflection on policy passion over operational leadership.
With expertise spanning technical concrete troubleshooting through European policy advocacy and member of Engineers Ireland Women in Engineering Group, Susan shares practical advice on visibility without egotism, why nice girls who don't ask get nothing, and how senior management diversity influences maternity leave, IVF cover and bereavement policies attracting retaining women throughout career pipeline.
 THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Low carbon cement ACT reduces clinker eighty five percent
Irish regulatory system lacks assessment route new materials
Women engineering eleven percent unchanged since two thousand eleven
Visibility senior management influences hiring maternity IVF policies
Cancer diagnosis thirty four prompted policy passion reflection

GUEST DETAILS
Susan McGarry is Managing Director for Ireland at Ecocem, pioneering company developing low carbon concrete, expertly handling concrete procurement rules and public affairs guiding construction industry toward ambitious climate targets whilst scaling sustainable building solutions across Ireland. Passionate advocate for diversity as prominent woman in structures and construction sector historically low on female engineers, she uses platform driving inclusion highlighting systemic barriers women face from cultural challenges to logistical issues like accessible female bathrooms on construction sites. 
Member of Engineers Ireland Women in Engineering Group, she joined Ecocem as environmental services intern in 2011 becoming youngest MD at 30 years old in 2020, now serving as Director of Public Affairs and Sustainability for Ecocem Global after cancer diagnosis prompted career reflection focusing on policy passion over operational leadership spanning European officials and global partnerships.
Connect with Susan McGarry:
Website: https://www.ecocemglobal.com/en-ie/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-mcgarry-73582542/?originalSubdomain=ie
Ecocem Global

MORE INFORMATION
Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/   
Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.
QUOTES
There's still not enough women to see it on mass as a career choice. I think visually, it still looks quite male dominated, and that is off putting. My personal kind of goal would have always been to like help increase the visibility at senior management level for women in engineering, women in construction.  - Susan McGarry
The state is the biggest consumer of concrete in this country. We do have procurement rules now where 30% clinker substitution is required. That's not super ambitious but we've gone from nothing to something.  - Susan McGarry
I had a decision to be a generalist or specialist at about 26. The Chairman of Ecocem said I did this course in UCD in industrial engineering in 1965, it turned engineers into CEOs. You should have a look at that.  - Susan McGarry
You get nothing if you don't ask, and if you don't have confidence, you kind of fake it. By being an open person to opportunities and being a helpful person that you'll take on workload.  - Susan McGarry
When I graduated as an engineer in 2011, 11% of the engineering population was made up of women. In 2025 it's still only 11%. It has not changed. That's a very small percentage. When you want a network, you do need a network. You need somebody that you can pick up a phone to that's kind of like minded. Women in Engineering Group created that network.

KEYWORDS
LowCarbonCement #WomenInEngineering #SustainableConstruction #PolicyAdvocacy #CareerProgression