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Edwin Sachs |
The first meeting took place in the Smoking Room at the Ritz Hotel on 21st July.
Ironically, the recently completed Ritz was one of the first steel frame buildings in London.
The driving force behind the creation of the Concrete Institute was the architect Edwin Sachs (1870-1919), who in 1897 had established the British Fire Prevention Committee. Sachs, an architect with a particular interest in theatre design and fireproof construction, was also the founder of the influential and respected journal Concrete and Constructional Engineering (1906-1966).
At the time the Hennebique and Coignet systems were coming into widespread use in the United Kingdom
and were leading to a plethora of new proprietary systems and patentees. Owners of these specialist systems, notably Francois Hennebique and his agent in the UK, Louis Gustave Mouchel, were extremely guarded and protective towards the use of their products and contractors were only able to build to these systems under restrictive and secretive licensing arrangements.
Architects felt they were subject to the monopoly of the system owners and believed there was a need for a representative body to contribute towards the provision of design guidance for those wishing to work with the new material which was being largely overlooked by the existing engineering institutions and to influence the London Building Acts which made no provision for reinforced concrete.
Under Sachs’ leadership, The Concrete Institute was founded with a membership consisting of architects, engineers, surveyors, chemists and manufacturers. On 22 February 1909, the Institute was incorporated under The Companies Act (1862-1907) and much of the time and energy of the new body was spent on ensuring reinforced concrete was accepted by the London County Council Regulations and the London Building Acts.
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Coignet system
advertistement * |
In 1912, the scope of the Institute was widened to embrace all areas of structural engineering, particularly steel frames. “Structural engineering” was defined as “that branch of engineering which deals with the scientific design, the construction and erection of structures of all kinds of material”. “Structures” were defined as “those constructions which are subject principally to the laws of statics as opposed to those which are subject to the laws of dynamics and kinetics, such as engines and machines”. The Institute’s title was extended to The Concrete Institute, an Institution for Engineers, Architects, etc.
Ten years later, with the use of steel frames becoming increasingly widespread, it was finally agreed to extend the scope of the Institute. On 28th September 1922, the name was changed to the Institution of Structural Engineers.
Royal Charter
Such was the Institution’s standing that in 1926 the London County Council (General Powers) Act named the Institution as one of four organisations to be consulted regarding changes to its Regulations under London Building Acts. However, the first petition for Royal Charter in 1927 failed, due to a combination of financial concerns and stricter membership admission and examination requirements. A second petition was successful. A Royal Charter was granted on 4th May 1934.
A Supplemental Charter was granted on 2 November 1965.
Headquarters
The Concrete Institute’s original offices were at 1 Waterloo Place on Pall Mall. Sachs’ offices were at number 7 and in 1910 the Institute moved to number 8 as subtenants of the British Fire Prevention Committee. At the time, meetings and papers were presented at Royal United Services Institution on Whitehall.
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Professor Henry Adams |
In 1911, larger premises were found at Denison House, 296 Vauxhall Bridge Road. The Institute remained there until 1923 when, as the Institution of Structural Engineers, it moved to 231-5 Abbey House, 2-8 Victoria Street.
The connection with Upper Belgrave Street began with a move to number 10 in 1926 before moving to the current premises, number 11, in 1938. The Royal Institution of Naval Architects has occupied number 10 ever since.
There are five named rooms at 11 Upper Belgrave Street - the Adams and Baker Rooms on the ground Floor, the Plymouth Room lecture theatre on the first floor and the Waters and Hardy Cross Rooms on the 4th Floor.
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Rt Hon Earl of Plymouth |
Presidents
The first President in 1908 was the Rt Hon Earl of Plymouth, who had been the 1st Commissioner or Works from 1902-5. His appointment would have added considerable prestige to the new Institute. His successor in 1910 was Sir Henry Tanner, Chief Architect to HM Office of Works from 1889 to 1913, who had recently designed the extensions to the General Post Office building at St Martin’s-le-Grand in London, the reinforced concrete work for which had been designed on the Hennebique system.
Sir Arnold Waters is the only President to have held the post twice, in 1934 and 1943. In 1940, Captain Murray B Buxton was killed in air raid while serving as President. The oldest surviving President is Dr Bill Eastwood who served from 1976-77. Sarah Buck, the 88th President was the first woman to hold the post in 2008.
A full list of all the past Presidents is available.
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Major Maitland
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Secretaries and Chief Executives
Drawn primarily from the original minutes as well as from published histories, John Dougill’s unpublished account of The role and influence of the Secretaries of the Institution of Structural Engineers, 1908-1961 provides a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the Institution and the personalities involved, from Sachs through to Major Maitland who ran the Institution for over 30 years.
The Concrete Institute was run initially by an Executive, of which Edwin Sachs was the Chairman, and honorary positions. Such was Sachs’ influence that during a period of his ill health and consequent inactivity the Institution effectively ceased to function.
It was realised that the Institute could not be run on an honorary post basis and a decision was made to appoint a permanent Secretary. Herbert Kempton Dyson was chosen for the post in May 1910 and the Executive was ceased.
Captain Maurice George Kiddy was the first Secretary of the newly named Institution of Structural Engineers. Kiddy gained a form of notoriety when he was exposed as being involved in financial irregularities involving the Institution’s finances and his services were dispensed with.
A consequence of this was that the name of Major James Petrie, who had been the President at the time of Kiddy’s misdemeanours, was wiped from the list of past Presidents. His name was reinstated to the list in 2007.
Chairman of the Executive
1908 - 1910 Edwin Sachs
Secretary
1910 - 1917 Herbert Kempton Dyson
1917 - 1917 Harrison Townsed
1917 - 1921 Percy L Marks
1921 - 1929 Capt Maurice G Kiddy
1929 - 1930 Herbert J Beaufoy-Lane (Acting)
1930 - 1961 Major Reginald F Maitland
1961 - 1982 Cyril D Morgan
1982 - 1994 Derek J Clark
Chief Executive and Secretary
1994 - 1999 Dr John W Dougill
Chief Executive
1999 - 2008 Dr Keith J Eaton
2009 Martin Powell
* Coignet system advertistement available by permission of the Concrete Society.