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Domain |
Excerpts |
Comments |
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"Teach yourself to think" |
- Engineering demands two-fold allegiance: 1) respect for conventions of the day, 2) new principles & novel solutions
- Think: process, cross-question, reason
- Need to think: in relation to people, tasks, systems & challenges
- How to teach: encouragement, relevance, emergent process, unfazed by difficulties, experiences, clarity
- When: uncertainties, obstacles, risks, failures, research & facing changes
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Engineering is multi-faceted, allowing much freedom to explore
"don't fire them, fire them up"
Suitable level of stimulation & competition within organisation & from without promotes thoughtfulness
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"Construction sites are the best teachers" |
- Modern engineering too specialised, splintered & research unlinked
- Students preferring computer simulations to experimental work
- Learn more from failures than success
- Emphasis on the real phenomena
- Be progressive & shunt conservative
- Be an all-round engineer with a focus
- Visit various sites for ideas & insight
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Age old question of theory vs practice
The answer is source for your niche
Everyone is non-uniform, thus the necessity to branch out when obstructed
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"Civilisation through civil and structural engineering" |
- Qualitative criteria: function, durable, reliable, safe, aesthetics
- Quantitative criteria: material, labour, energy, time, price (cost)
- Conjunctive criteria: economics, tech., experience, cultural infrastructure
- Creative thinking: abstractive, extrapolative, associative, foresight
- Creative methods: differential & integral analysis & synthesis, multiplying & deduction methods
- Creative approaches: systematic, complex, programmed & aiming
- Civil requirements: efficiency, safety, serviceability, aesthetics, harmony
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Civil engineering is borne & nurtured in civilisation
Its development lies in its relevance to people
As structures alter the landscape, people would be affected, thus the greatest effort needs to expedited for all engineering processes
For people, to people, with people
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"Loads that lose their way" |
- Overall structural layout - materials - stresses & strains - loads & movement - stiffness - redundancy - loads choosing & losing their & our ways
- Added stiffness can attract added load
- Sensitivity analysis of lack of fit
- Stress hotspots at stiffness discontinuity & shear obstacles
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"Loads should not lose their way in the hands of designers who have not lost theirs"
Management focus on budgeting & planning, neglecting engineering analysis
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"Time and change and structural design" |
- Changes in materials: concrete & steel strengths improving, building weight dropping (~1ton/m2)
- Changes in operations: precast concrete, flat / box members, prestress concrete, organisational mergers
- Changes in design: strength, stiffness, stability by computer, other factors
- Changes in needs: civil services drop from 25% to 12%, whereas services increase to 80%; managing the different design lives of engineering components
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Is modern engineering improving upon ancient?
How to build with a design life of a thousand years? Is it economical to do so? Do we allow economics to adversely affect engineering excellence?
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"The joys and tribulations of innovation" |
- Successful construction is as much about human interaction as it is about technology
- (inefficiency, waste) vs. (skills, experience)
- ACCS: advanced composite construction system
- Successful innovation improves quality of life, preferably in all aspects like environment & health
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For innovations to find success, support has to come from both industry and academics
Research into new developments
Applications into new structures
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