Taking its place among the country’s most iconic landmarks, the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge dramatically transformed the Boston skyline when it was completed in 2003. It rises 745 feet over the Charles River, is 1,407 feet in length and, at 183 feet in width, it is the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world. The Zakim Bridge is an impressive structure and massive engineering feat, with a price tag of more than $115 million. 

But long before 1997 when ground was broken for its construction, the Zakim Bridge was just the impressive idea of its chief architect Christian Menn. It took several years and many teams of men and women working together to bring his dream to the elegant reality that now graces the Boston landscape and supports more than 155,000 vehicles daily. And among those contributing their time and skillset to the project’s completion were the people creating computer-generated plans and 3D designs that would serve as the plans of action for the bridge.

Architectural and civil computer aided drafting and design is integral to building roads, plumbing, sewer and electrical systems, and bridges. Software such AutoCAD, Revit and SolidWorks are used to create precision drawings and technical illustrations that enable those creating and building bridges to see all the what-if scenarios of their creations long before construction. They, and the people who know how to use them, are vital to modern bridge construction.

If you’re creative and detail-oriented and like working on computers, CADD training could teach you how to put your talents to use on a grand scale! Drafters with CADD training work across a variety of fields, helping to build buildings, bridges and more. At Porter and Chester Institute, our Computer Aided Drafting and Design program might be right for you and your future!