From becoming the world’s first female tunnel boring machine (TBM) pilot to now leading the industry’s first all-women TBM crew, Isolde Piet is pushing boundaries for women in the construction industry
To say Isolde Piet’s journey to becoming a construction manager for Suburban Connect on Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is fascinating is an understatement.
Born and raised in the Netherlands, she grew up adamant that she would follow in her father’s footsteps to become a lawyer. Later, when that didn’t seem a good fit, the goal changed to become a judge instead.
However, it was through her hobby of windsurfing that a new direction presented itself, when she met a university student at her local surf club and became interested in engineering.
“He designed and built his own surfboards, which I found fascinating,” Piet says.
“It led to me investigating which universities were offering civil engineering. The fact that you can build large pieces of infrastructure and leave it behind for future generations was a key driver for me.”
This chance meeting ultimately helped influence Piet’s decision to study civil engineering and underground construction at the Netherlands’ Delft University of Technology.
After completing her studies, Piet worked on the Groene Hart rail tunnel project, which she says was the largest tunnel project in the world at the time.
There her duties included looking after the launch shaft and planning different methods before the works kicked off.
Always keen to learn, she pushed for a role on the ground as works started – leading her to become the first female tunnel boring machine (TBM) pilot in the world in her mid 20s.
World first
As a TBM pilot, Piet was in charge of driving the machine and loosely compares the TBM cabin and its host of instruments to the cockpit of an aircraft.
“You’re building the tunnels while you’re driving the machine,” Piet says.
“The pilot has to excavate the ground in front of them to build the tunnel that is made behind the TBM.”
It’s no surprise that Piet was the first female to pilot a TBM, as she was always striving to advance her skillset through hands-on experience.
“I just wanted to be a better engineer, as well as becoming a better manager, so I could relate to workforce matters,” she says.
“Through that achievement, I think my experience can be helpful in encouraging more women to enter the industry.”
Aussie move
Looking for a new challenge and change of lifestyle, the next part of Piet’s journey saw her move to Australia with a role on Brisbane’s Clem7 tunnel project, which opened to traffic in 2010.
The 6.8km road includes a 4.8km twin two-lane tunnel, connecting Brisbane’s inner north to the southern and eastern suburbs – bypassing the CBD. Piet played a key role in setting up a precast yard to manufacture the tunnel segments.
“It was very exciting to work on, because at the time it was one of the biggest projects that Brisbane was going to undertake,” she says.
Now working as a construction manager for CPB Contractors, Piet’s first role with the business saw her doing early works on Melbourne’s North East Link road project, which included a 40-tonne mini TBM.
She is currently working with Suburban Connect, the global consortium of CPB Contractors, Ghella and Acciona Construction, that has been selected to build the first stage of Melbourne’s SRL. The SRL is a major transport project linking the city’s train services from the Frankston Line to the Werribee Line via Melbourne Airport.
More specifically, Piet is the SRL East Tunnels South construction manager on the project that will deliver six new underground stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill.
Through this role, Piet is responsible for looking after the underground section of the project, including the precast for the tunnels and the cross passages.
“It’s a delivery-based role that requires coming up with the best technical solutions and delivering within time and budget,” she says.
“This is different to other projects, as we have an increased focus on sustainability, social procurement and innovation in the delivery phase.”
Further emphasising the project’s difference, Piet is set to lead the world’s first all-women TBM crew, that will help build the SRL East tunnels.
All-women crew
The aim behind the creation of an all-women TBM crew is to attract more women into the industry, Piet explains.
“This has never been done before and showing that it can be done can create a platform for more women to get involved,” she says.
“There’s been an amazing, positive response to the expression of interest forms, and the team will be working hard reviewing all of the 869 applications to fill the roles on the all-women crew.
“In addition to this, the team will investigate options and possibilities for using this amazing talent pool across our project, parent companies and the Suburban Rail Loop Authority.”
The team will include a range of roles, including the TBM operator, gantry and segment crane operators, grouters and support roles.
Comprehensive on-the-job training will be provided with the help of the Victorian Tunnelling Centre, allowing the crew to include of women who have varying levels of experience.
“Our crew doesn’t necessarily have to be made up of highly skilled and experienced women,” she says.
“The aim is to bring in women with transferable skills or women who can go through the training required.”
The all-women crew will be one of eight crews operating the four TBMs digging the southern section of the SRL East twin tunnels between the suburbs of Cheltenham and Glen Waverley.
Tunnelling for SRL East will start in 2026 and the target is to have the all-women TBM crew operating by 2027.
With more and more initiatives like this aiming to attract more women into the industry, Piet is happy with the progress made and has seen a shift in the construction space. Although this is the case, there is always room for improvement.
“Women are starting to see career opportunities in the construction industry, but I think there’s still an exciting challenge to get more women onboard and on site,” Piet says.
“Training women and bringing them into the TBM crew will hopefully leave a legacy for future projects so they can become leaders for others.”
There are many reasons Piet says she loves the construction industry, and one of the most rewarding aspects is the tangible progress seen on a project.
She says that one highlight on every project is travelling through the tunnels that she’s helped build after many years of work.
Having this opportunity presents a greater appreciation of the work done from day one to opening day, and seeing people benefit from her projects is the cherry on top.
“These projects are all about teamwork, people in various roles and from different nationalities work together on one goal – to build these projects,” she says.
“It’s really fulfilling when you pull it off.”
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