From July 28 (Mon) to July 30 (Wed), 2025, Commonwealth Engineers Co., Ltd. hosted a 3-day internship program for two students from Isogo Technical High School, offering them the opportunity to learn about architectural and civil engineering design in a plant facility.

The theme was “Opening the Door to Structural Design in Plant Facilities — A Structural Engineer’s Perspective from a Power Plant”. The program aimed to give high school students aspiring to work in architectural, civil, or structural design fields a concrete understanding of the profession through actual plant facility tours and simulated design work.

Day 1: Learning the Basics of Plant Design

The first day began with the fundamentals — “What is a plant?” Students learned how facilities such as power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, and water treatment plants connect to everyday life.

In the afternoon, students studied how to read specifications and design drawings, which are the starting point of design work. Using the architectural design software Revit, they challenged themselves to create a 3D model of a Guard House. Revit allows users to produce floor plans and cross sections, check quantities of piping, and perform clash detection within the BIM environment.

What is BIM? BIM stands for “Building Information Modeling.” It is a process for creating a digital 3D model of a building in a computer environment, integrating information throughout all stages of the construction process — from design and construction to maintenance — to be used across multiple disciplines.

Day 2: Experiencing the Scale of Structures at Isogo Thermal Power Plant

On the second day, students conducted preliminary research on the features and facilities of Isogo Thermal Power Plant before visiting the site. Seeing enormous pipes, turbines, and plant structures up close allowed them to directly connect the drawings they had studied with the actual structures and appreciate the design considerations involved. It was a valuable learning experience that went beyond the textbook.

They also joined an online meeting with a company employee stationed in the United States, experiencing a live project progress report using on-site photos.

Day 3: Experiencing Structural Calculations and International Work

The final day featured a web meeting with the company’s overseas office in Manila, Philippines, where students experienced the workflow of international projects and practiced using English in a business context. They learned common English terms used in overseas project drawings and calculations, and took part in a quiz of frequently used phrases when working with foreign engineers.

Additionally, they performed structural calculations for steel frames supporting piping and for the foundations supporting those frames, then used the results to create drawings. They worked on both 2D and 3D representations.

Student Feedback (Selected)

• “I enjoyed creating drawings using 3D modeling.”
• “Structural design using calculation models was challenging but educational.”
• “The content was more advanced than what I learn at school, but with careful instruction I was able to understand.”
• “The calculations were difficult, but I want to try more 3D design work.”

Purpose and Future Outlook of the Internship

This internship aims to provide those interested in design and structural engineering with hands-on experience in civil and architectural design within plant facilities — a field rarely seen in daily life — broadening their perspective and helping them envision their future career path.

We will continue to actively offer outreach classes, workplace tours, and internship opportunities for high school, technical college, and university students.

For School Representatives

If you are a representative of a school with an architectural or civil engineering department and are interested in arranging outreach classes or internships, please feel free to contact us.

📩 Click here for the contact form

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