Career Profiles: Terry Girdler

My employer: I work for English Heritage who protect and defend the future of the historic environment in England. We maintain and repair a vast range of properties in our care, including Stonehenge, the Iron Bridge, Silbury Hill and Dover Castle. We also give structural engineering advice to owners of other properties and listed buildings on appropriate maintenance works. We work on prestigious buildings, belonging to the rich and famous, and on some very humble agricultural structures demanding the same level of attention.

My job: My job title is "Chief Structural and Civil Engineer" which involves managing a group of Chartered Engineers and Technicians. Our job is to provide English Heritage with a view of the best structural engineering practice for repairing, strengthening, altering and maintaining listed structures.

This work often requires a detailed survey of a structure to assess its condition and the cause of any defects. Then the best way to repair or prevent continuation of these problems is considered. A sound knowledge of traditional building methods is needed with the ability to provide unusual but practical solutions to a variety of engineering problems.

My education: I started as an apprentice, studying for ONC and HNC at technical college one day a week. Then I passed the exam to become Associate Members of the Institution of Structural Engineers. To become a full member, I needed an honours degree, so my employer allowed me to take day release for four years to study for one. I achieved a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in civil engineering, and then proudly passed the exam to become a full member of the Institution and thus a Chartered Engineer.

During my working experience, I realised that I needed a better understanding of the issues related to the ground on which structures stand. So, I decided to further my education. I took a higher degree course, and achieved a Master of Science (MSc) in Geotechnical Engineering.

Iron Bridge is an example of one of my recent projects: We carried out calculations to assess the strength of the handrails on the Iron Bridge, and discovered that they may not have been capable of resisting the force that a crowd could put on them. Load tests on the real handrails would have determined their real strength, but could also have resulted in damage, which would have been unacceptable on a structure of such historical importance. So we decided to make a replica cast iron handrail and test its performance in a laboratory. This gave us detailed data on its structural performance without damage to the original structure, and showed that repairs were required to some of the main posts that had deteriorated. After considering many alternatives, we decided to bond very thin carbon fibre plates to the posts. This increased their strength substantially without any noticeable change in appearance to the structure.

The best thing about my job: It is very rewarding to contribute towards the conservation of historic structures. Past engineers have provided us with structures to admire and the skills of structural engineers now and in the future will continue their preservation for the enjoyment and learning of many coming generations.