Meet Seii Chen

I took an elective on corrosion and durability at Monash University, and I was that student who asked most of the questions during lectures. My professor noticed my interest and put me in touch with a few people in the industry, one of whom was Liam Holloway, Managing Director of MEnD. 

After a call to Liam, followed by an interview with Hannah Pollock, Lead – Operations for MEnD (where I somehow ended up asking more questions than they did), I was lucky enough to be offered a student engineer position during my final year of university. I’ve been here ever since. 

One of the great things about working in corrosion and durability is that time is on your side. All construction materials deteriorate eventually, so if we continue to build infrastructure, there will always be a need to understand its condition and extend its service life. 

My role involves assessing asset condition by identifying deterioration mechanisms through site inspections and testing. I also use reality capture technologies such as drones, USVs and handheld LiDAR scanners to create detailed 3D digital models of structures. These models provide an objective snapshot of an asset at a point in time, helping owners track deterioration, plan maintenance works, and make more informed decisions. They also create valuable historical records, particularly for heritage structures where preserving a digital record can aid ongoing conservation and restoration efforts.  

I wrote an academic paper titled ‘Taking asset inspection to new heights: Exploring the role of drones’ for an Australian Corrosion Association (ACA) conference a couple of years ago. It was my first paper, so I was already happy just to have submitted and presented successfully. The following year, it received a Best Review Paper award, which was a surreal and rewarding experience. 

Getting access to places and structures that most people never see and visiting some unique corners of the country is a highlight.  

I also enjoy the variety of challenges. No two structures we look at are quite the same, and it’s always satisfying coming across an unusual problem that makes you stop, think, and figure out what’s really going on

I was already completing an internship with another contractor at the time, when I came across the opportunity and I was curious about the consulting side of the industry. I liked the idea of working on a wider variety of projects and being able to apply both technical knowledge and problem-solving skills across different asset types and industries. 

The opportunity to combine fieldwork, testing, engineering assessments, and emerging technologies like drones and reality capture made the role particularly appealing. 

Don’t be afraid to be curious and to openly express your interests in things. Ask the questions, even if it means standing out a little as you never know what opportunities it might lead to.