GESTRA CO-OP PROGRAM
Students and Newcome Professionals benefit from their Internship or Co-Op experience at GESTRA Engineering, Inc. Working at GESTRA Engineering is a sure means to broaden opportunities within the Civil Engineering and Construction Materials Testing Profession. Co-Ops are Full Time Positions that typically begin in May and conclude in December, annually.
Internships are Full Time Positions that typically run from May through August, annually. Whether you’re Degree Seeking or Non-Degree Seeking, GESTRA Engineering is an excellent steppingstone in reaching your goals of having a successful, life-long career. We train and certify entry-level positions and work with Co-Ops and Interns to grow within our company as much as they choose to do so.
Flexibility is a key factor when it comes to juggling school, work and family schedules. GESTRA does their part in making it all work for its staff by attempting to be as flexible as possible when it comes to scheduling needs.
Field Positions
Daily, Construction Materials Testing Co-Ops and Interns arrive to GESTRA and are equipped with plans and duties for their assigned jobs in the field. Our Team Members load up their GESTRA Truck with necessary equipment and construction documents/plans and head to Job Sites early to prepare to test and observe. Site Safety Checks are conducted and Client Communication takes place. Testing, observation and record keeping are our role! In the field, Testing examples include: concrete quality control (ACI and PCC), nuclear density for soil (compaction and moisture), nuclear density for asphalt, excavation observation for foundation soils, proof rolls (deflection and rutting), reinforcing steel inspection, fireproofing inspection, post tensioning inspection (pre-inspection and testing), waterproofing inspection, floor flatness/floor levelness testing, rebound hammer testing, vibration monitor testing, concrete and asphalt coring/sampling.
Testing examples in the LAB include: concrete
(DOT and non-DOT)/grout/mortar compression strength testing, modified and standard proctor testing, soil liquid and plastic limit testing (Atterberg Limit), soil moisture and organic content, hydrometer testing…. soil pH and resistivity testing, sieve analysis testing. Our Co-Ops and Interns return to the office for day close-out and reporting. Senior Technicians and GESTRA colleagues are always willing to assist with questions and ensuring you have the resources and answers you need.
Laboratory Positions
Laboratory Technician interns start the day by weighing out all of the moistures from the tests the day before. After all the samples from the day before are weighed, results are reported to project managers and clients. Once results are reported, daily routine testing begins. Some of these tests include concrete cylinder strength tests using a compression machine, finding the density of soil by doing a proctor, and finding the plasticity of soils by conducting Atterberg Limit tests.
Some field work may be requested such as conducting well readings. When all testing for the day is completed, we put them in the oven to get moisture contents and repeat the process the next day! While the tests that are done each day are similar, based on the clients’ needs, they can vastly vary.(DOT and non-DOT)/grout/mortar compression strength testing, modified and standard proctor testing, soil liquid and plastic limit testing (Atterberg Limit), soil moisture and organic content, hydrometer testing…. soil pH and resistivity testing, sieve analysis testing.
Our Co-Ops and Interns return to the office for day close-out and reporting. Senior Technicians and GESTRA colleagues are always willing to assist with questions and ensuring you have the resources and answers you need.