James Sutherland History Lecture
Annual lecture held at the Institution's headquarters
The James Sutherland History Lecture takes place at the beginning of each year at the Institutions' headquarters in London. It covers historical topics related to structural engineering.
History
In 1972, James Sutherland set up a study group called 'Archaeology of Structures'. In 1973, the group was reformed under the title 'History of Structural Engineering'. The History of Structural Engineering Study Group organised its first annual lecture (then known as the Star History Lecture) in 1989 and this was delivered by Dr. Euan Corbett on 'The rise and fall of iron ship construction'.
In 1992, James Sutherland retired as Convenor of the Group. As an enduring mark of appreciation, the annual lecture was retitled the Sutherland History Lecture. James himself delivered the first lecture under its new title in 1994.
This year's lecture:
The Coy Mistress by Dr Bill Harvey BSc PhD CEng FIStructE FICE
Andrew Marvell wrote: ‘Had we but world enough, and time this coyness mistress were no crime’
Masonry is a coy mistress. She reveals her secrets with reluctance and a hasty analysis will often produce an over conservative view of performance. A series of examples will illustrate how hard it is to predict behaviour and how even “failure”
may prove to be no failure at all in real terms. We do not have “world enough and time”, (i.e. unlimited resources) but must make the very best of what we have if we are to maintain a safe environment without inordinate (and wasteful) expense.
Committed to bridge engineering from the age of 7 after a visit to Clifton Suspension bridge, Bill began researching masonry bridges in 1981 and with every year he seems to know less (but at least to understand more). Bill became Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Exeter in 1995 and left in 2000 to found his own consultancy.