David Harvey inspires a new generation of structural engineers

by David Harvey, M.Sc., P.Eng., StructEng, FIStructE

Since the last issue of AE Today, I have spent several months in the UK presiding over meetings of the Executive Board and Council, and attending committee meetings and annual dinners of the domestic branches. I also attended several important events, including the 2007 Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Annual Conference and Annual Dinner, which were attended by delegates from around the world. It is exciting to discover the many cultural differences that exist internationally among structural engineers, yet we all share a common professional bond.

Another delightful duty was participating in the judging of the 2007 Structural Awards along with a panel of 14 distinguished judges. Having hosted last year’s event and presented certificates to the winning entries, including AE’s Commendation Award for the Whitemud Creek Arch (see Issue No. 1, 2007), I know how very exciting the evening is. This year, IStructE received 152 submissions from around the world, all displaying excellence in structural engineering. Winners will be announced in London on November 14th at the annual awards celebration.

Perhaps the most emotive event I hosted was the Peoples and Papers Awards luncheon, at which I had the great pleasure of recognizing the contributions of the Institution’s leading volunteers, along with the best technical papers that were published in the journal, The Structural Engineer. I was delighted to award a rare IStructE Honorary Fellowship to former Construction Minister Nick Raynsford MP, Chair of the Construction Industry Council.

One of the great honours of the presidency is to award the Institution’s Gold Medal, its highest individual award for achievement in the field of structural engineering. Some of the most famous names in structural engineering history are among the Institution’s gold medalists. The medal has only been awarded 39 times during IStructE’s 99 year history. I had the distinct privilege of awarding the last two. The 2006 Gold Medal was awarded to Professor Roger Johnson for research into composite structures, and the 2007 Gold Medal was won by structural steelwork engineer Joe Locke, who built some of the world’s most significant steel structures.

I also made overseas visits to South East Asia, including India. The rapidly emerging Indian economy has a significant international business component, and young structural engineers in India have a great interest in an internationally recognized professional qualification. India currently graduates over 200,000 engineers annually. I visited several of India’s prominent engineering schools to inform the senior students about the value of joining IStructE.

During my tour, I was able to visit Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi. At each city, I met with local members and professional organizations, and also signed an agreement with the fledgling Indian Association of Structural Engineers. India is an amazing country – not only is it home to 1.1 billion people, but there are elegant historic buildings, and some breathtaking new structures of international prominence. I was taken to see the impressive Second Hooghly River Bridge in Kolkata, and toured the cutting edge Bandra Worli Sea Link in Mumbai, currently under construction.

Associated Engineering opens new office in Prince Albert

Associated Engineering is pleased to announce the opening of our new Prince Albert, Saskatchewan office. This new office, will allow us to better serve our clients in the area, including the City of Prince Albert, Prince Albert Grand Council, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation. For more information on our services, contact Marvin Loewen, Manager or Kevin Cudmore, Project Engineer.

Our new office is located at:
102 - 1061 Central Avenue
Prince Albert, SK   S6V 4V4
Tel: 306.764.3040.