This technical talk will illustrate the design and construction of the concrete fortifications in the Channel Islands which were built during the Second World War. These formed the greatest concentration of fortifications in Hitler’s Atlantic Wall which stretched from Norway to Spain.
The talk includes many rarely seen pictures of the fortifications under construction and shows why some of them have lasted well whilst others have deteriorated badly. The materials and methods used are described in detail, including an extract from one of the men who worked on the construction. Examples of modern concrete construction are included and show how concrete can be built to last.
This talk is the result of studying and researching the fortifications over a period of more than 30 years, and the speaker is known worldwide for his expertise in reinforced concrete.
Speaker
Chris Shaw FIStructE
Chris is a Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer who has been dealing with damaged buildings since the 1970’s. He has previously won The Institution of Structural Engineers Surrey Regional Group Peter Minett Award for the best talk of the 2018- 2019 season and in 2020 won The Institution of Structural Engineers Sir Arnold Waters Medal.