The Institution of Structural Engineers’ Chartered Membership Examination tasks you with demonstrating the validity of your training and experience. Examiners must be satisfied that you have conveyed an understanding of structural engineering principles, an ability to initiate and communicate structural design and provide an effective solution to a structural design problem.

The examination is seven hours in duration. You must answer one question from a choice of five. All questions have two sections and BOTH parts of the question must be satisfactorily answered to achieve a pass.

Preparation Course 2018

The Chartered Member (CM) Prep course this year will run for 4 weeks commencing on Tuesday, 10th April 2018 in Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street from 6:00 to 9:30pm, with a short recess approximately half way through.

The dates are:
• Tuesday 10th April 2018
• Tuesday 17th April 2018
• Tuesday 24th April 2018
• Tuesday 1st May 2018

The course fee is €300 for members of the Institution and €500 for non-members.

If you are interested in participating in this course please return the booking form(linked as “further information” below) to orla.mannion@arup.com before 28 March 2018.

Further information can be downloaded by clicking here or by copying the following address into your internet browser http://www.istructe.org/istructe/regions/files/Ireland/832018165312.pdf

If you wish to respond to this email please contact orla.mannion@arup.com

In this lecture, Mr. Sean Breen, Chartered Engineer, Malachy Walsh and Partners, will outline the challenges faced by the design and construction teams in the delivery of this fantastic facility which hosted its first inter-county hurling and football championship games in the Summer of 2017.

For full details see our flyer

Date: Tuesday 6th March 2018

Venue: DIT Bolton St.

Time: 18:30, Tea/Coffee from 18:00

Further Info: Kieran Ruane, Chartered Engineer (086) 1938642 kieran.ruane@cit.ie

Masonry Fixings and ACOL Ltd in association with Sure CPS Group will present a CPD on the design and selection of the correct Helical Products for Conservation projects

Presenters
Jonathan Thomas  Technical Director at Quickbase Foundation Systems (Engineer with 20 years experience of specifying & installing helical material)
Terry Foster  Sure CPS ( Mech Engineer with 25 years experience of specifying, installing and manufacturing helical material)

The Presentation will cover:
Influences that make buildings crack.
Identification  and assessment of the damage.
Production of helical product.
Testing.
Certification.
Advantages of helical product.
Basic Structural considerations.
Identifying the appropriate product to repair the damage.
Repair Methods.
Reference Projects.
Other related products.

The Participant will take away a better understanding of why buildings crack, identifying the reasons and having a little knowledge of what can be done to repair the damage.

Location: Acol site office. Rear 22 St Stephens Green Dublin 2 (Lane next to Cliff Townhouse Restaurant)

Date: Wednesday February 21, 2018

Time: 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Please register here

A one day gathering of internationally recognised experts in the fields of Seismic Engineering, Post‐Earthquake Reconstruction and Building Conservation

There is an Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Ireland host a one day gathering of internationally recognised experts in the field of Seismic Resistant Construction Techniques, Post-Disaster Reconstruction and Building Conservation particularly in remote and developing communities.

Venue: Wood Quay Venue, DCC Civic Offices,

Date: 14th of March in Dublin

Time: 09:00 to 15:00

Register Here

Download Seismic Summit PDF

Newsletter No. 29

Contains:

• Chairman’s Address
• Young Members Group
• Invite to the Annual Dinner at Trinity College
• Design, Disasters and Development
• Modular Construction, Low to High Rise: Some Assembly Required
• CIT Structural Engineering Society Trip to London

Download on pdf

The meeting will cover the background to the disaster, the Lancashire connection and the key design decisions.

Particularly it will address the construction methodology based on the environment and condition of the existing sarcophagus.

For full details see our flyer

Date: Tuesday 30th January 2018

Venue: DIT Bolton Street, Dublin

Time: Refreshments from 6pm, Lecture at 6:30

Free, All Welcome!

In this lecture, Mr. Sean Breen, Chartered Engineer, Malachy Walsh and Partners, will outline the challenges faced by the design and construction teams in the delivery of this fantastic facility which hosted its first inter-county hurling and football championship games in the Summer of 2017.

For full details see our Flyer

Date: Tuesday 21st November 2017

Venue: Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Time: 19:00, Tea/Coffee from 18:30

Further Info: Kieran Ruane, Chartered Engineer (086) 1938642 kieran.ruane@cit.ie

or John J. Murphy, Chartered Engineer (021) 4326741   john.justinmurphy@cit.ie

Date: Tuesday 12th Dec 2017

Time: 17:30 – 18:00

Venue: DIT, Bolton Street Rm 251

Minutes for the 2016 AGM will be available on the day or by e-mailed request to the Honorary Secretary;  info@istructe.ie

Agenda Details available here

For full details see our Flyer

Date: Tuesday 12th Dec 2017

Time: 18:30, Tea/Coffee from 18:00

Presented by: Mr. Paul Sanders, Chartered Engineer, Director COWI

Further Info: Kieran Ruane, Chartered Engineer     (086) 1938642     kieran.ruane@cit.ie

Admission FREE          Booking Not Necessary         Non-Members Welcome

Image: Yiorgis Yerolymbos

This talk will give a whistle-stop tour of the project, then focus in on the structural engineering innovations – from the visible to the invisible – which we hope will help the cultural center bring enjoyment and delight to the public; now, and for many years to come.

For full details see our Flyer

Date: Tuesday 26th Sept 2017

Time: 18:30

Venue: DIT, Bolton Street Rm 281

Presented by: Dr Pete Winslow CEng MIStructE

Further Info: info@istructe.ie

Admission FREE          Booking Not Necessary         Non-Members Welcome

To see our full series of presentations please visit our YouTube channel

IStructE Ireland

For full details see our Flyer

Date: Tuesday 9th May 2017

Time: 18:30

Venue: DIT, Bolton Street Rm 281

Presented by: Michael Hough BSc(Eng), DipStructEng, MSc, CEng, MIEI, MStructE Owner/Director MJH Structural Engineers.

Further Info: info@istructe.ie

Admission FREE          Booking Not Necessary         Non-Members Welcome

Video of the lecture can be viewed below

CPD Event 2017

Engineering Design for Safe Construction

Queen’s University Belfast – Wednesday 26^th April 2017

½ day seminar organised by

The Institution of Structural Engineers Northern Ireland Regional Group

Full details can be found on our Flyer

Time: 6.30pm,

Date: Tuesday 24th January, 2017

Location: Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork

Full flyer details are available here

Location:   DIT Bolton Street, Room 251

Date:   Tuesday 6th December 2016

Time:   5.30pm – 6.00pm

Agenda in flyer attached

Allan’s original paper was published in ‘The Structural Engineer’ to coincide with the 70th anniversary of VE Day. It recognises the contribution made by structural engineers to the war effort during the periods of conflict between 1914 and 1945.

Speaker: Allan Mann, IStructE Gold Medal winner 2011

Venue: Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1

Date: Tuesday, 15th November 2016

Presentation: 6.30 pm

See full details on our flyer

Video of the lecture can be viewed below

The Regional Group Student Prize is awarded each year, for the best Final Year Project in the subject area of Structural Engineering.

At the evening meeting, the nominees will each make a short (10 minute) presentation on their project and then answer questions from three industry-representative judges. The evening promises to be highly informative, especially for final-year students.

Venue: Rm 281, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1

Date: Tuesday, 25th October 2016

Reception 6 pm, Presentations 6.30 pm

See full details on our flyer

For further information, contact Shane Lally – slally@bmce.ie

This lecture will be of interest to all practicing engineers and engineering students with an interest in large scale infrastructure projects.

Mr. Ciaran Murtagh, Managing Director, Shay Murtagh Precast, will present details of recent innovations in the precast concrete industry and the role of innovation in contributing to the successful completion of some of the largest and most complex infrastructure projects in Ireland and the UK in recent years.

For full details see our Flyer

Date: Tuesday 11th October 2016

Time: 18:30 (Tea/Coffee from 18:00)

Venue: DIT, Bolton Street

Speaker: Mr. Ciaran Murtagh, Managing Director, Shay Murtagh Precast

Further Info: Kieran Ruane (086) 1938642; email: kieran.ruane@rpsgroup.com

Admission FREE          Booking Not Necessary         Non-Members Welcome

The full recording of the lecture is available to see below

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are now playing an increasing role in large and small scale residential and commercial projects across the sector. The use of MMC including volumetric & panelised systems, OSM sub-assemblies and components can have significant advantages in time, labour, environmental impact and cost over traditional bricks and mortar. However, as Ireland settles in for a second upsurge in construction in as many decades, this seminar will look at what lessons can be learned from our own recent history with MMC and what can be done to mitigate or eliminate future risk.

Date: Wednesday 1st June 2016
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland
Fee: Early Bird Member €195/Early Bird Non-Member €245
Regular Member €245/Regular Non-Member €295
N.B. Early Bird expires on 24th May 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT see our flyer
www.engineersireland.ie
OR CONTACT US ON
01 6651305 OR
cpdtraining@engineersireland.ie

The presentation will demonstrate the novel approach taken to the design and construction of the new automated storm gate harbour entrance to Cape Clear Harbour. It will detail how engineering challenges associated with underwater and overwater building works on Ireland’s most southerly inhabited island were overcome through novel design and temporary works.

For full details see our Flyer

Date: Tuesday 10th May

Time: 18:30 (Tea/Coffee from 18:00)

Venue: DIT, Bolton Street

Speaker: Richard Browne, Director, L&M Keating Building & Civil Engineering Contractors

Admission FREE          Booking Not Necessary         Non-Members Welcome

The objective of this one day workshop is to provide structural engineers with insight into how to avoid the design errors that ultimately lead to unsatisfactory performance or failure in engineering structures.

The workshop explores how structural failures occur in reality, how the errors that lead to them can be prevented, and culminates in practical approaches on how to manage these risks in a design office. This workshop will be of interest to engineers wishing to accrue CPD points, both technical and risk management.

Please see full details on flyer

For Further Information Contact: Sean Brady, Brady Heywood Pty Ltd on (07) 3010 9494 or email: workshops@bradyheywood.com.au

Date: Tuesday March 17 2015

Venue:The Institution of Structural Engineers 47-58 Bastwick Street, London, EC1V 3PS

Time: 09:00 – 17:00

Price: £320 (plus VAT)
Members of The Institution of Structural Engineers will be eligible for a reduced rate of £290 (plus VAT).

The talk will cover many aspects of the management of the metal bridge stock in Irish Rail. Some of the topics covered are:

• Number and nature of the bridge Stock
• Bridge Management System
• Common defects
• Design criteria
• Repair specification
• Paint specification
• Case study- The Boyne Viaduct

Presentation by: Stephen Bateson Principal Engineer-Structures, Iarnrod Eireann/Irish Rail

6.30pm, Tuesday 12th April, 2016

Room 281, DIT Bolton Street, Dublin 1

For further Information Contact: paul.trofimov@ocsc.ie

Reception 6pm

(Admission FREE – All Welcome)

Video of the lecture is available from our channel here

The lecture will outline the need for the project, the appraisal of Options to date, and the next steps involved in the current ‘Environmental Impact Assessment and Planning Stage’ of the project. It promises to be a very interest lecture.

Presentation by: Gerry Geoghegan BE Eur Ing CEng MIEI

Senior Engineering Project Manager, ERVIA (Irish Water)

Full details are available here on our flyer

6.30pm, Tuesday 8th March, 2016

Room 281, DIT Bolton Street, Dublin 1

Admission FREE – All Welcome, Reception 6:00 pm

For further Information Contact: s.lally@ors.ie

Click here to view the overview lecture slides

The Institution of Structural Engineer’s most prestigious award, the Gold Medal is awarded to an individual for exceptional and outstanding contributions to the advancement of structural engineering.

The award was first initiated and presented in 1922 to Professor Henry Adams (who had been President of the Institution from 1914 to 1916). Many eminent structural engineers from around the world have been presented with the Gold Medal.

The 2014 Gold Medal was awarded to Tristram Carfrae.

The Gold Medal Address

Designing with computers

It is relatively common to hear the senior members of our profession exhort our more junior members to “stop using computer models”, particularly early in the design process. However, a computer analysis programme is really just a superior calculator (slide rule or log table). Why shouldn’t they be used by engineers to get a fast appreciation of the structural behaviour of their idea? What is it about making a quick sketch and a hand calculation that makes it so more informative than a computer model, which is replete with stresses, defected shapes, loads, reactions and many other informative results?

Surely what we really want is the wise use of computer models, even early in the design process. A virtual exploration of the design space; many models of different complexity, cross checking for fundamental structural behaviour; sensitivity studies against various input parameters; to name a few of the different strategies available.

Full details are available from our flyer here

Speaker:  Tristram Carfrae RDI MA FREng FTSE FIEAust MIStructE

Date:  Thursday, 25th of February

Time: 6:30 pm

Venue:  Engineers Ireland, Clyde Road

The January 2016 version of the IStructE Ireland Regional Group Newsletter is now available!

The Newsletter includes…

• an address from Chairman Peter Finnegan
• an invite to the IStructE Annual Dinner at Trinity College
• info on IStructE routes to membership
• a brief on an upcomming lecture on the Shard by Kieran Ruane, RPS
• IStructE Members Awards
• an article on Shaping a Better World Aidan Madden, Arup
• an article on Building Control Regulations by Shane Lally, ORS
• an article on the Young Members Group by Orla Mannion, Arup

The Newsletter is available for download here

Annual Dinner

Friday 19^th February 2016

The Dining Hall, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2.

The Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers is pleased to announce details of the Annual Dinner 2016. This is the principal social event for members and we would like to welcome all members, guests, colleagues and friends in groups or as individuals.

In line with last year, we are conscious of the current economic situation and so;

o    Ticket price is €85 per head.

o    Ticket price will include a pre-drinks reception and half a bottle of wine per person.

o    Members will be seated at dining tables which are more suitable to accommodate individual members as well as company groups.

The dinner will be attended by the President of the Institution in 2016, Mr Alan Crossman, the Chief Executive, Mr Martin Powell and our speaker for the evening is Mr Sean Boylan, former Meath Football Manager, Internationally Renowned Herbalist and Motivational Speaker.

Pre-dinner drinks reception starts at 7.00p.m with the dinner beginning at 8.00p.m. (black tie).

To confirm your place, please download our reservation form here.

It can be posted, or scanned and emailed to:

Orla Mannion,

Arup,

50 Ringsend Road

Dublin 4.

Email: orla.mannion@arup.com     Phone: 086 3757510 .
Please return all reservations by Friday 5th February. 

See a selection of our gallery photos of a very successful night

The RIAI and the BRE Academy present a series of BRE Academy BIM training courses leading to BRE BIM Membership for RIAI members. These courses are non-technical aimed at Project Leaders & Managers. The RIAI is offering this course to RIAI members because, as the use of BIM in construction projects increases, it is vital that architectural professionals take on the role of BIM Information Manager to complement their role as Design Team Leader.
The RIAI are actively endorsing and promoting the use of UK PAS1192 standards in Ireland, and accreditation provides a means for companies to demonstrate their BIM capability. This is particularly relevant to practices delivering services in the UK & Northern Ireland, where BIM will be mandatory on public projects by 2016.

Full details are available here

STAGE 1: BIM LEVEL 2 FUNDAMENTALS (BIM AP) Date:  2nd & 3rd February 2016

Time:  Day 1 09:00 – 17:00; Day 2 09:00 – 16:30

Venue: RIAI, 8 Merrion Square, Dublin 2

CPD Points: 12 structured points  Course Price: €915

In this lecture Frank Fox CEng EUR ING FIEI MIStrutE RConsEI will review the new award winning Medieval Museum in Wateford City, from conception to design and construction.

See accompanying flyer for further details

6.30pm, Tuesday 8th December, 2015

Room 281, DIT Bolton Street, Dublin

(Admission is Free – All Welcome)

Video of the Lecture is available to see below

For Further Information Contact:

On Tuesday, 10 November 2015, the Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the IStructE will host their annual Graduate Evening. This event offers engineering students a chance to learn more about the various career paths available to them following graduation  and will be of particular benefit to final-year students. On the evening three recent graduates will make presentations detailing their personal experiences, and will answer questions from the audience. This year the speakers will be:

• Aideen Maguire, BSc, ME (Arup). Aideen graduated from University College Dublin in 2014, with Masters and Bachelor’s degrees in Structural Engineering with Architecture. As part of her degree Aideen completed an eight month work placement with PUNCH Consulting Engineers. Since graduation Aideen has been working as a graduate structural design engineer with Arup, as part of the Dublin Buildings team. She has been working on scheme and detailed design for a number of projects in Ireland, consisting mainly of education facilities. She has also spent some of her time working on International Projects including Abu Dhabi International Airport and the European Investment bank.

• Tom Tobin BE(Hons) (Walls Construction Limited). Tom is a 2013 graduate of Civil Engineering at University College Dublin. Since Tom’s graduation he began working with Walls Construction Limited as a Graduate Engineer, and within a year was promoted to Site Engineer. Having worked on the St Luke’s Hospital extension in Kilkenny and Apple Computers Façade and Wellness in Cork, he is now part of a big team of Engineers working on one of the large city center jobs just off Baggot Street.

• John Hickey BA, BAI, MAI (Trinity College Dublin). John graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2015 at both bachelors and masters level. John is currently undertaking a PhD in Structural Engineering, specifically looking at how braced steel frame structures respond to seismic loading. John has previously undertaken an internship with Arup Dublin.

The evening promises to be highly informative and is open to all interested members of the public.

Full Details on our Flyer

Venue: Room F14, Newstead Building, University College Dublin (Map)

Date: Tuesday, 10 November 2015

Time: Tea/Coffee Reception – 18:00, Lecture 18:30

Location:   DIT Bolton Street, Room 251

Date:         Tuesday 8^th December

Time:         5.30pm – 6.00pm

The AGM will be followed by an evening lecture. See www.istructe.ie for details of the lecture which will be at 18:30 (following a tea/coffee reception at 18:00).

Full evening details here

The Irish Concrete Society will again make an award for excellence in design or construction of a completed building, structure or concrete element, irrespective of type, scale or complexity in concrete…read more

Completed forms must be returned to the Society at the address below before the closing date of Monday 2nd November 2015

Please download application form here

This lecture Eric Farrell of AGL will review the extensive information on the ground conditions in Dublin gained since 1990 and relate this to foundation and retaining wall design to EC7.

Date: Tues 3rd Nov 2015 @ 6.30pm

Venue: Room 281, DIT Bolton Street

Full details on Flyer

Further Details Contact: Henry Mullen, Henry.Mullen@dit.ie, 01 402 3765

The video of the lecture is now available to view

The Regional Group Student Prize is awarded each year, for the best Final Year Project in the subject area of Structural Engineering. This year’s nominees are:

CIT: Kieran Ward – “Design and Testing of Bridge Half-Joints”

DIT: Shane Lally – “Investigation of Alternative Moment Resisting Connection Detail for Portal Frame Eaves”

TCD: John Hickey – “Numerical Analysis of Steel Braced Frames Subjected to Earthquake Loading”

UCC: Tadhg Buckley & Phoebe Watson – “Mitigating the Structural Vibrations of Wind Turbines using Tuned Liquid Column Damper, Integrating Soil-Structure Interaction”

UCD: Conor Lyons – “Topology Optimisation of  Structures for 3D Printing”

UL: Kevin Cahir – “Structural Examination of a Geodesic Dome”

See Full Details on our Flyer

Date & Time: Tuesday, 6th October 2015, Reception 18:00, Presentations 18:30

Venue: Rm 281, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1

All Welcome

…18 Months On…

Building Control Regulations provide for matters of procedure, administration and control for the purposes of securing the implementation of the requirements of the Building Regulations and of demonstrating how compliance with such requirements has been achieved in relation to the building or works concerned.
On the 1st March 2014, S.I 09 (or BC(A)R) was introduced relating to the commencement and certification of construction works came into effect.

This lecture is an insight into the progress of the industry 18 months on from implementation of these new regulations.

Flyer Details here

Presentation by: Cormac Meaney C.Eng (MIEI)

Time: 6.30pm, Tuesday 8th September, 2015
Venue: Room 281, DIT Bolton Street, Dublin 1
(Admission FREE – All Welcome)

For further information contact: s.lally@ors.ie
Reception 6:00 pm

See below video of the lecture

The benefits of EC3 global analysis and design integration with BIM (1/2 day)

This half day course presents an understanding of the strategy involved with current structural code provisions and presents a comprehensive treatment of the second order analysis and design of sustainable, safe and economic steel structures. Course participants will be provided with an overview of the provisions of Eurocode 3. An explanation of the various types of structural analysis and conventional design to Eurocode 3 will be covered. Emphasis will then be placed on analysis and design techniques including the treatment of frame and member imperfections, second order PΔ and Pδ effects and the interpretation of analysis results.

See Here for Full Info

Date: Monday 29th June, 2015

Time: 1.30pm to 5.30pm

Venue: School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, David Keir Building, Queen’s University Belfast

Fee: ₤150.00 Students: ₤50.00

Course materials and tea breaks will be provided. A certificate of attendance will be awarded to all delegates who complete the course together with a 30 day license for NIDA EC3 global analysis software

Target Audience
Designers, Structural Engineers, Civil Engineers, Safety Engineers, Consultant Engineers, Contractors, Specification Engineers, Cost Engineers and Quantity Surveyors, Steel Fabricators and Erectors
For information and registration contact see here

Building on the Hill that Beat Lance
Design and Construction of St. Angela’s College, St. Patrick’s Hill, Cork.

John Lee of Malachy Walsh and Partners will explain some of the challenges presented by the site and outline how the contemporary design developed by O’Donnell and Tuomey Architects was realised in an Engineering context. David McCarthy of L and M Keating Civil and Engineering Contractors will discuss how the project was executed through the construction phase. Lance Armstrong dismounted at this point in the 2009 Tour of Ireland but the Hill is not too steep for the Pupils and Staff of St. Angela’s College. Obtaining the DAC was a challenge!

For more info click here

The video of the lecture is now available to view

6.30pm, Tuesday 5th May, 2015

Room 281, DIT Bolton Street, Dublin

(Admission is Free – All Welcome)

For Further Information Contact:

The Regional Group Preparation Course will focus primarily on Schematic Design and participants will be required to present solutions to past papers. Candidates should bring usual class materials.

The Fee is €250 and interested candidates should register in advance by sending their details to joe.ryan@hanleypepper.ie

See here for full details

Location: Room 248, DIT Bolton Street, Dublin

Dates: Mondays; 11^th, 18^th, 25^th May, Tuesday 2^nd June

Time: 6.30-9.00pm

The sudden collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh in April 2013 killing 1,132 workers forced the global garment industry to question the true cost of clothing. As a result, Arup was approached to develop a methodology which could be used to assess factory buildings and be applied to a large number of factories over a short period of time. Over 2000 factories have been assessed to date, with Arup undertaking 600 of those.

In this lecture, Aidan Madden and Shane Redmond of Arup will outline the challenges faced in setting up and implementing the methodology and give details of their experiences both on the engineering and cultural aspects of working on such a project.

The Video of the lecture is now available to view

Presented: 6.30pm, Tuesday 14th April, 2015

Room 281, DIT Bolton Street, Dublin

For Further Information Contact:

Portland Cement and Concrete – the early days 1850 – 1920: jointly hosted by the Heritage society and the Structures and Construction division

In this presentation Con Kehely will discuss the development of concrete by Portland Cement. Focusing on Ireland, Con will explore the early days of cement and concrete using examples such as Dublin Port, O’Connell Bridge and Arklow Town Hall.

This event is jointly hosted with the Structures and Construction division.

Click here for more information

Date: Monday, 9th March 2015, from 7:30 PM

Location: 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4

Event Contact: Con Kehely, Heritage society, con.kehely@dublincity.ie

When opened in 1964, the Forth Road Bridge (FRB), with a main span of 1006m, was the 4th longest in the world and was the 1st long span bridge to be built outside the US. Having recently celebrated its 50th anniversary the FRB now transports over 25 million vehicles per year and is a vital link in Scotland’s strategic road network. However, the operation and maintenance costs of large cable supported bridges such as the FRB are often underestimated by those funding their initial construction. It would also appear that new design and construction of large cable supported bridges are still undertaken without much reference to those who have the experience of maintaining and operating them. This presentation will delve into these topics and describe the maintenance works carried out on the FRB over the past 15 years so as to ensure structural integrity for its remaining service life.

Presented by: Barry Colford Chief Engineer & Bridgemaster, Forth Road Bridge

Barry is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Barry is author of a number of technical papers on bridge engineering and is a European Committee member of the International Cable Supported Bridge Operators Association. He represents the Long Span Bridges Group on the UK Bridges Board and Bridge Owners Forum. He is involved with both Edinburgh University and Edinburgh Napier University in their MEng and MSc courses. He is the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster of the Forth Road Bridge.

Date & Time: 6.30pm, Tuesday 10th March, 2015

Venue:  Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4

Admission Free – All welcome

For Details: Click Here

For further details www.engineersireland.ie or email Fergal Cahill at fcahill@nra.ie

Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland

& 

Institution of Structural Engineers

Republic of Ireland Regional Group

Post Graduate Engineering Development Course

Semester 1 –March 28^th – 2^nd May 2015

Semester 2 – October 3^rd –7^th November 2015

Comprising:

5 x Saturday –half day sessions (9-12:30pm)

9 x Evening lectures (6-8pm)

Dublin Institute of Technology

 Bolton Street, Dublin 1

Who Should Attend:

The course is aimed at Graduate Engineers working in a Consulting Engineering Office, with a minimum of one year’s work experience, who have not had the benefit of a properly structured training programme to enhance their development and progression from Post Graduate Stage to Chartered Engineer.

The course is broken into two semesters and covers topics in semester one which are of interest to both Mechanical & Electrical and Civil/Structural Graduates. Semester two will be split into two categories  (a) Civil/Structural -focusing  specifically on practical aspects of design codes and construction methods, together with some relevant case studies. (b)  M&E –focusing again on practical aspects together with some relevant case studies . Note details of the M&E semester two  topics will follow when these have been finalized.

Topics covered in Semester One are intended to improve the young consulting engineer’s understanding of non-technical as well as technical issues that arise in the performance of their day to day duties.

Programme

The programme will commence on March 28^th.  This will take the form of structured lectures covering 14 training Modules comprising half-day Saturday sessions and Wednesday evening lectures.  Semester one will finish on Saturday May 9^th and Semester Two will run from October to Mid-November 2015.

A “Certificate of Course Completion in Design” is issued jointly by ACEI/IStructE to participants who successfully complete the course involving the submission of course work.

This course is a CPD accredited event.

A REGISTRATION FORM is available to download via the following link; 2015 Final ACEI ISE DesCrs Registration Form UB

 A Review of Structural Failures in Ireland and Elsewhere

THURSDAY, 12^th FEBRUARY 2014

The lecture will examine a number of Irish structural failures, near misses and suggests “lessons learnt”. The examples include failures involving loss of life. The technical details are outlined. Comparisons are made with a number of major international structural failures.

The speaker, Ian Duckenfield BSc CEng MICE MIStructE, has over 40 years design experience. He is currently the Principal Structural Engineer of one of the largest Engineering Consultancies in Ireland. He was, for a number of years an examiner for the Institution of Structural Engineers Part 3 Examination.

After the lecture, we have a Meet and Greet Quiz planned in the Woolshed Baa & Grill, Parnell Street at 8pm. Tables will be randomly assigned so don’t worry about not having enough for a full table. !FREE BEER! and Platters will also be provided!

A flyer to publicise the event is available here: Ian Duckenfield Lecture & Quiz_12022015

Date & Time: Thursday, 12^th February 2015, Reception 18:00, Lecture 18:30.

Venue: Rm 281, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton St.

The Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers is pleased to announce details of the Annual Dinner 2015. This is the principal social event for members and we would like to welcome all members, guests, colleagues and friends in groups or as individuals.

In line with last year, we are conscious of the current economic situation and so;

• Ticket price is €85 per head.
• Ticket price will include a pre-drinks reception and half a bottle of wine per person.
• Members will be seated at dining tables which are more suitable to accommodate individual members as well as company groups.

The dinner will be attended by the President of the Institution in 2015, Mr Tim Ibell, the Chief Executive, Mr Martin Powell and our speaker for the evening is Mr Joe Brolly, Barrister and Sports Commentator.

Pre-dinner drinks reception starts at 7.00pm with the black tie dinner beginning at 8.00pm. To confirm your place, please use the attached Annual Dinner Reservation Form 2015. It can be posted, or scanned and emailed to:

Una Beagon,
School of Civil & Structural Engineering,
Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton St, Dublin 1.
Email: una.beagon@dit.ie

Date: Tuesday 13th January 2015

Time: 19:00 (Tea/Coffee from 18:30)

Venue: Room G10, Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, University College Cork

Daly’s Bridge is a historic steel suspension footbridge in Ireland, known locally as the ‘Shaky Bridge’ for its noticeable movement under pedestrian loading. Daly’s bridge has been instrumented and tested recently for static and dynamic responses and a model of the bridge has been established in the process. The talk will focus on this modelling and testing. Video analysis and a new signal processing technique have been successfully applied to this bridge to identify its natural frequency. The study highlights the complexity and importance of full scale testing with good models and signal processing techniques for pedestrian bridge structures.

The lecture will be given by Dr Vikram Pakrashi. Vikram is a Chartered Engineer with Engineers Ireland and a Lecturer in Structural Engineering in University College Cork, Ireland. He is the director of Dynamical Systems and Risk Laboratory, Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, University College Cork. Vikram’s research interests include dynamics of structures and infrastructure maintenance management. Vikram is the Head of Learning of Engineers Without Borders: Ireland and is the founding member of its UCC chapter. Before joining UCC, he has served the industry mainly in the bridge engineering sector.

A flyer is available to advertise the event via the following link: Daly-s-bridge-Winter-Lecture

The January 2015 version of the IStructE Ireland Regional Group Newsletter is now available!

The Newsletter includes…

• an address from Chairman Don Toomey,
• an article on the new Rosie Hackett LUAS bridge across the Liffey by Dr. Tony Dempsey, Roughan & O’Donovan Consulting Engineers,
• an update on his Australian Experience so far by Dr. Colin Caprani of Monash University, Melbourne (formerly DIT),
• an article on the setting up of an IStructE Young Member’s Group in the Republic of Ireland by Dr. Tara Reale, AECOM,
• a report on Waterford Medieval Museum by Frank Fox of Frank Fox & Associates, an Irish project which was recently shortlisted for the Small Practice Awards at the IStructE Structural Awards, and,
• an article by Joe Ryan, of Hanley Pepper Consulting Engineers on the participation of the Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the IStructE at the 2014 BT Young Scientist Exhibition at the RDS, Dublin.

The Newsletter is available for download via the following link; Instruct Newsletter-26_v10_10022015

IStructE James Daly Lecture 2014 – “Engineering The Shard” Thursday 11/12/2014

At 306m above ground level, the Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe. It was designed by structural engineers WSP and architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop for client Sellar Properties. The structure combines innovation and elegant simplicity to provide a building that delights its users and London as a whole; and was economical, rapid and safe to build. Pioneering techniques included a core built downwards at the same time as it was rising upwards; a tower crane that rose continuously as the building grew; and modular construction of the spire.

Presented by: John Parker MA CEng FICE FIStructE

John is a Senior Technical Director in the WSP London structures team. His experience includes buildings, railway stations and footbridges and he has worked with many of the most respected architects in Europe.

Date: 6.30pm, Thursday 11th December, 2014
Venue: Room 281, DIT Bolton Street, Dublin 1

(Admission FREE – All Welcome)

A flyer is available to publicise the event here: The Shard Flyer IEI IStructE

The lecture will be directly preceded by the Republic of Ireland IStructE Regional Group AGM, at 5.30pm in DIT Bolton Street, Room 251. The notice of AGM can be found here: NOTICE OF AGM 2014

For further information please contact:
una.beagon@dit.ie

On Tuesday, 18 November 2014, the Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the IStructE will host their annual Graduate Evening. This event offers engineering students a chance to learn more about the various career paths available to them following graduation and will be of particular benefit to final-year students. On the evening three recent graduates will make presentations detailing their personal experiences, and will answer questions from the audience. This year the speakers will be:

• Aaron Condren, BEng (Hanley Pepper Civil & Structural Consulting Engineers). Aaron graduated in 2013 from Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, with a First Class Honour in Structural Engineering. Prior to joining Hanley Pepper, Aaron worked for 5 months in London with Duffy Associates Consulting Engineers where his work was primarily associated with residential refurbishments and basement installations. Upon joining Hanley Pepper, Aaron has gained extensive experience on various projects from small scale residential developments up to large scale data centres, including extensive experience on steel frame structures, in 3D modelling programs such as Revit, CADS and SCIA. Aaron also works closely with architects and other design consultants on project development plans.

• Tom Tobin BE(Hons) (Walls Construction Limited) is a 2013 graduate of Civil Engineering at University College Dublin. As part of his degree, Tom spent time with Golder Associates on site in Aughinish Alumina Co. Limerick, and Lisheen Mine Co. Tipperary. Since Tom’s graduation he began working with Walls Construction Limited as a Graduate Engineer, and has recently been promoted to Site Engineer based on the St Luke’s Hospital extension in Kilkenny.

• Darragh Noble BA, BAI, MAI (Trinity College Dublin) – Graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2012 at both bachelors and masters level. Currently undertaking a PhD in Structural Engineering, specifically looking at how prestress force magnitude and eccentricity affects natural vibration frequency for prestressed concrete structures. Darragh has previously undertaken internships in 2010 and 2012 with Buro Happold, UK and Hilti AG, Liechtenstein in 2011.

The evening promises to be highly informative and is open to all interested members of the public.

Click here: Graduate_Evening_2014 to download a flyer to publicize the event.

Venue: Room F14, Newstead Building, University College Dublin (Map)
Date: Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Time: Tea/Coffee Reception – 18:00, Lecture 18:30

The sudden collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh in April 2013 killing 1,132 workers forced the global garment industry to question the true cost of clothing. As a result, Arup was approached to develop a methodology which could be used to assess factory buildings and be applied to a large number of factories over a short period of time. Over 2000 factories have been assessed to date, with Arup undertaking 600 of those.

In this lecture, Aidan Madden and Billy Allen of Arup will outline the challenges faced in setting up and implementing the methodology and give details of their experiences both on the engineering and cultural aspects of working on such a project.

 6.30pm, Tuesday 25^th November, 2014

Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork

(Admission is Free, All Welcome)

A flyer is available to help publicise the event via the following link: Bangladesh Flyer 25-11-2014

For Further Information Contact:

Kieran Ruane, Chartered Engineer                  (086) 1938642        kieran.ruane@rpsgroup.com

John J. Murphy, Chartered Engineer                (021) 4326741        john.justinmurphy@cit.ie

The Young Members Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers in the Republic of Ireland would like to present their inaugural lecture entitled “Roads to Chartership.”

The lecture was delivered on Tuesday 30th September 2014 in DIT Bolton Street by Mr Kieran Ruane, Director, RPS Group, and Mr Roger Tegart, Director, Cronin & Sutton Consulting Engineers.

Kieran and Roger discuss the IStructE chartership exam and provide advice and some useful tips based on their own personal experience.

Kieran and Roger have over 40 years combined experience in the field of structural engineering and provide invaluable advice for those intending to sit the exam in the future.

A copy of the slides alone are available via the following link; RoadsToChartership_KRuane_RTegart_30092014

Evening Lecture (Bridges) – “Evaluating for Scour using Traditional and Modern Techniques”

Scour of foundations by the action of water is a major cause of bridge collapses worldwide, and it is important to manage the risks in an effective and consistent manner. A key part of that process is the inspection of structures to identify those that are most at risk and require further action.

In this lecture Brian Devlin, Chartered Engineer, and Managing Director of CEI Collins Engineers Ltd will focus on the different types of scour and what constitutes a scour-critical bridge.

Traditional methods for conducting scour inspections will be outlined. The presentation will also describe the modern imaging tools used to assist in the evaluation of bridges for scour.

6.30 pm Tuesday 9th December 2014 at Engineers Ireland, Clyde Road, Dublin 4

All are welcome. Admission is Free!

For further details please visit; www.engineersireland.ie

A flyer is also available to help publicise this event via the following link; Bridge Scour Evening Lecture with IStructE – 09.12.14

The Institution of Structural Engineers Young Members Group Site Visit – DIT Grangegorman 

Friday 14th November 2014, 3.00 pm

BAM Building has invited members of the IStructE YMG to the Research Hub Phase 1 building in DIT Grangegorman. This facility is a new Science Research and Incubator Facility for the Dublin Institute of Technology and Associated Works. This site visit will provide useful insight for all young engineers into one of the few large-scale Dublin based construction projects at the moment.

Please note that all attendees must have the required PPE (Hard Hat, Steel-toe Boots, Hi-Vis Vest, Safety Glasses and Safety Gloves).

All are welcome to attend and support the event.

Attendees are requested to register for the event filling out the following word document; IStructE_YMG_Grangegorman site visit_Registration sheet, and returning it to Mairéad Ní Choine (mairead.nichoine@rod.ie)

A flyer is also available to help publicise the event; IStructE YMG Grangegorman Flyer

We look forward to seeing you there!

ENGINEERS IRELAND Structures & Construction Division in association with the Institution of Structural Engineers present a lecture entitled;

“Delivering the Site Infrastructure & Public Realm for the Grangegorman Development Project”

The video for the presentation is now available to view

The Site Infrastructure and Public Realm (SIPR) project is a massive undertaking which covers the entire Grangegorman site and consists of the laying of all utility services, major earthworks and development of the public realm – paths, roads, green areas, lighting, seating, bike parking, etc.

Phase one of this contract delivered the initial public realm to allow the first 1,000 DIT students to come onsite in September 2014. As well as delivering all of the site’s utility services, this project also delivered a new surface water pipe connection to Smithfield as required by Dublin City Council and all of the new outdoor sports facilities.

Presented by:-
Brian Heron BE, PGD H’way & Geo. Eng., MSc, CEng M.I.E.I.
Is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Associate with O’Connor Sutton Cronin & Associates, one of Irelands Leading Multi-disciplinary Engineering Consultancy’s. Brian has over 15 years of professional experience in the design and delivery of a wide range of civil engineering projects. Brian was the Senior Resident Engineer on the Employer’s Representatives team responsible for delivering the Site Infrastructure & Public Realm project.

6.30pm Tuesday 11th November 2014 at School of Civil & Structural Engineering, DIT Bolton St, Dublin 1 – Room 281

All are welcome to attend the event and admission is free.

For further details please visit www.engineersireland.ie or email Daniel O’Keeffe at daniel.okeeffe@ocsc.ie

A flyer is available to publicise the event via the following link: Grangegorman Flyer.

Engineers Ireland Heritage Society in association with Structures & Construction Division & The Institution of Structural Engineers 

St Mel’s Cathedral – Engineering our Heritage

Gutted by a fire on Christmas Eve 2009, St Mel’s, one of Western Europe’s largest conservation projects, currently underway, is nearing the end of its complete refurbishment.

Presented by:-

Kevin Fay BSc (Eng.), Dip Eng., MIEI

Kevin is a qualified Structural Engineer and Contracts Director with GEM GROUP, one of Ireland’s Leading Construction & Joinery Manufacturing Companies. Kevin, previously an associate Director of Malachi Cullen & Partners Consulting Engineers has over 20 years’ experience in both design and construction. Currently Kevin is the Director of Gem Purcell Ltd, a JV Company with the responsibility for delivering the conservation and restoration of St Mel’s Cathedral.

Jonathan Macauley BEng CEng MIStructE MIEI

Jonathan is a director of DESIGN ID, employed by Gem Purcell Ltd for the specialist timber design of the large span replacement timber roof & ceiling structure to St. Mel’s. Jonathan graduated from Queen’s, Belfast with a 1^st Class Honours Degree and while working with O’Connor Sutton Cronin was nominated Chartered Engineer of the Year by Engineers Ireland 2006.  Jonathan brings a creative yet practical edge to the design of buildings and unusual structures.  He is also currently a tutor on the MArch course at Queen’s University, Belfast.

 7.30pm Monday 20^th October 2014

At Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, D4

For further details www.engineersireland.ie or email Lisa Edden at lisaedden@eircom.net

All welcome. Admission Free.

A flyer is available to publicise the event via the following link.

This year, the Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the IStructE has this year been working hard, in conjunction with colleagues in HQ in London to establish a “Young Members Group” in the Republic of Ireland.

According to the Institution’s main website (www.istructe.org) via the following link;

“The Young Members’ Group primary objective is to represent the views of young members of the profession within the Regional Group and to develop initiatives that will generate the interest of Young Members in the Institution. It is also intended that the group involves young members in the community who aspire to be Civil and Structural Engineers and are therefore not members of the institution.

The Group aims to supplement normal Regional Group functions with programmes particularly designed for young members. The Group is responsible for undertaking initiatives independently without the direct involvement of the Regional Group but accountable to it. Young Members and aspiring members are encouraged to express their views and ideas on all matters of Regional Group interest.”

The Group will be organising a series of events throughout the year, including professional lectures, interesting site visits, social events such as pub quizzes, in conjunction with the numerous events already run by the Regional Group Committee.

The  first event has been organised to take place on Tuesday, 30th September 2014 at 6.30pm in Room 281, DIT Bolton Street. Kieran Ruane, Director at RPS Group, and Roger Tegart, Director at Cronin & Sutton Consulting will deliver a lecture entitled “Roads to Chartership” helping Young Members on their way to IStructE chartership (M.IStructE).

The Republic of Ireland Young Members Group of the IStructE are pleased to announce their inaugural lecture entitled “Roads to Chartership”. The lecture will take place on Tuesday 30th September 2014 at 6.30pm in Room 281, DIT Bolton Street. The lecture will be delivered by Mr Kieran Ruane, Director, RPS Group, and Mr Roger Tegart, Director, Cronin & Sutton Consulting Engineers.

Kieran and Roger will discuss the chartership exam and provide advice and some useful tips based on their own personal experience. Kieran and Roger have over 40 years combined experience in the field of structural engineering and will provide invaluable advice for those intending to sit the exam in the future.

A flyer is available to help publicise the event: IStructE Road to Chartership Flyer

All are welcome to attend and support the event.

On Tuesday, 7th October 2014, the Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the IStructE will host its annual Student Prize
competition evening, in Room 281, DIT Bolton St. A reception will take place at 18:00 followed by presentations from the nominees at 18:30. Each nominee will make a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation on their project. Each presentation will be followed by questions from three industry-representative judges, after which some questions shall be invited from the floor.

This years nominees are:

• CIT: Andrew Meehan – “Construction and Design of Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts”
• DIT: Pavel Trofimov – “The Four-Hinge Method of Analysis of Masonry Arches”
• TCD: Amy Flanagan – “Life Cycle Cost-Benefit Analysis of  a Seismically Retrofitted Integral Bridge” (nominated in absentia) 
• UCC: Deirdre O’Donnell & Robert Wright – “Finite Element Modelling of a Historic Steel Suspension Bridge through the Correlation of Experimental Data from a Novel Sensor System“
• UCD: Nora Gyetvai – “Field Study of the Guinness Bridge for Documentation and Safety Evaluation Purposes“

The Regional Group would like to congratulate all of the students on their nomination and is looking forward to hearing their presentations. The evening promises to be highly informative for both industry practitioners and students.

Click to download a flyer to publicize the event: Student_Prize_Flyer_2014

Location: Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton St. (Room 281)
Date: 7 October 2014
Time: Tea and coffee reception at 18:00. Presentations start at 18:30.

For your information, please find attached a press release and a Q+A document advising of the changes to the Institution’s Chartered Membership examination.

The press release and Q&A document is also available via the ‘Member News’ section of the institution website via the following link.

FAO: All graduate members!

Please see attached a job vacancy description with Techcrete based in their manufacturing plant in Balbriggan. Interested parties should apply in confidence to:

Mr. Richard Hogan,
Technical Director,
Techrete Ireland Ltd.
Stephenstown Industrial Park,
Balbriggan,
Co. Dublin.

Email: rhogan@techrete.ie

“Techrete has a vacancy for a Graduate Engineer to work in their Dublin based design office. The successful candidate would work within our design office under the supervision of a Chartered Structural Engineer.

The work involves the design of precast concrete elements (typically facades) and the fixings to the primary structure.

The projects are prestigious and intricate and it is important that the applicant has a liking for working with fine detail. A good background in Structural Analysis and Reinforced Concrete Design is important.”

Techcrete Graduate Structural Engineer Job Opportunity

FAO all members, the NSAI would like to bring the following to your attention;

The European technical committee dealing with Structural Eurocodes, CEN/TC 250 has started a systematic review of the suite of Eurocodes.  The review will be phased.  The first phase includes the review of 31 out of the 58 parts of the Eurocodes.  The 31 parts available for comment are listed on the NSAI website, accessible via the link below.  This is an opportunity for the Irish engineering community to identify any modifications that are required to improve the suite of Eurocodes.

Please follow the link to comment. 

Attention all members!

The Association of Consulting Engineers Ireland have published an Interim Advice Note RE: Masonry Blocks and Apparent Pyrite Content.

“It has come to the attention of the Association of Consulting Engineers that there have been recent instances of apparent pyrite content in concrete blocks provided by block manufacturers.

In cases reported the affected blocks were noted to have a brown discoloration. The physical strength characteristics diminished over short period of time, particularly when exposed to moisture.

The ACEI are concerned about these occurrences and recommend all member firms request assurance from suppliers that materials are free of deleterious materials and that a representative sample of blocks be tested for pyrite content by chemical analysis.

We will endeavour to keep members informed and would appreciate any feedback on members experience in relation to this matter.”

The Interim Advice Note, as published by the ACEI is available here: ACEI – Pyrite in Concrete Blocks Advice Note 2014-05-13

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Mr John Christopher Lee, who had been a member of this Institution since 1990.

EVENING LECTURE – The Design of the New Forth Crossing

The construction of a new bridge across the Firth of Forth in Scotland is underway. The new bridge pushes the boundaries of cable stayed bridge design in a location which is synonymous with innovative bridge engineering. On completion in 2016, the New Forth Crossing will take its place adjacent to the iconic steel cantilever bridge of 1890 and the record setting suspension bridge of the 1970’s.

In this lecture, Mr. Peter Fitzgerald, Chartered Engineer, Principal Engineer Ramboll Consulting Engineers, will outline the challenges faced by the design team. The proposed construction methodology and the construction work completed to date will also be presented.

A flyer to publicise the event is available here.

Time: Reception 18.00, Lecture 18.30

Date: Monday 7th April, 2014

Venue: DIT, Bolton Street, Dublin, Room 281

For further information please contact Una Beagon, Honorary Secretary, Institution of Structural Engineers RG. una.beagon@dit.ie

Our newsletter for Spring 2014 is available via the following link. It contains an address from the outgoing Chairman, Mr. Joe Ryan, of Hanley Pepper Consulting Engineers, a “Moving to Vancouver” piece by British Columbia Engineer in Training, Victoria Janssens, a report on the proposed residential development at Ladies Beach, Ballybunion, Co. Kerry by current Chairman, Don Toomey, of Malachy Walsh and Partners, a report on the new Building Control Regulations by John O’Connor of the Housing Agency, and an announcement of the RoI RG prizewinners for 2013.

The prizewinners are:

REGIONAL GROUP PRIZE: Michael Shaw, Barry Mc Allister, Paul Mc Gettigan, RPS Consulting Engineers; “Titanic Belfast-Designing an Icon”

STUDENT PRIZE: James Barry, Cork Institute of Technology – “Stressing Geometry Control of Cable Stayed Bridges”

TECHNICIAN PRIZE: Alan Rowan, Dublin Institute of Technology – “Simple Steel Connection Design”

Well done to all!

The James Daly Memorial Lecture 2014 will take place on Tuesday 11th March, Room 281, DIT Bolton Street. A pre-lecture reception will take place at 18.00, with the lecture commencing at 18.30. The topic of this years lecture is the redevelopment of 10 Trinity Square, London. A flyer to publicise the event is available via the following link.

10 Trinity Square was opened by David Lloyd George, then the British Prime Minister, in 1922. It is best known as being the former headquarters of the Port of London Authority. It overlooks the River Thames at Tower Hill, in the southeastern corner of the City of London and is one of London’s most important historic buildings. The building was purchased by Reignwood in 2010 in order to re-develop the building as a 5-star hotel and luxury apartments.

Barrett Mahony are the project civil and structural engineers acting on behalf of the design and build contractor and this presentation explores the challenges and complex engineering issues faced during the re-development of this Grade II listed building.

Speakers:

• Roger Tegart, BScEng MIStructE CEng, Associate Director, Barrett Mahony

• Owen Carroll, BE (Hons) MSc DIC MIEI, Design Engineer, Barrett Mahony

Date: Tuesday 11th March

Time: Reception: 18.00; Lecture: 18.30

Venue: Room 281, DIT Bolton St.

The video of the lecture is now available, along with the accompanying paper:

A video of the lecture on The Structural Use of Glass in Buildings by Chris O’Regan, BEng(Hons) CEng MIStructE as part of our AGM Evening Lecture on Tuesday 10th December, is now available to view on Youtube via the following link.

A worked example can be downloaded via the following link.

With the introduction of the new building control inspection regime and certification process just around the corner, now is a good time to learn or refresh on all aspects of the building regulations and their associated technical guidance documents.

As part of Engineers Week 2014 (9-15th February), the University of Limerick will hold the 5th Punch Lecture, entitled “A Dead Heap of Stones: Nature as a source of creative engineering design.” The lecture will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday 13th February in the Jean Monnet Theatre, Main Building, University of Limerick. The event has been publicised on the UL website, via the following link.

The Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers are delighted to support the Punch Lecture series and would like to invite you to a pre-lecture RECEPTION with finger food and refreshments. The reception will begin at 6.30pm on Thursday 13th February in the Jean Monnet Theatre Foyer, Main Building, University of Limerick.

Flyers are available to download to publicise the event: 1. IStructE Reception Punch Lecture flyer, 2. Punch_Lecture.

The speakers are Prof. Chris Wise and Prof. Ed McCann of Expedition Engineering. Chris Wise was Arup’s youngest ever Director in 1992. He cofounded Expedition in 1999. Ed McCann is an innovative and creative designer with a particular interest in environmental performance. Chris and Ed collaborate with many of the world’s leading architects to realise outstanding projects.

Chris and Ed will give a behind-the-scenes look at many of Expedition’s creative designs such as the Infinity Bridge at Stockton-on-Tees and the London Olympics Velodrome. In their unique style, these exceptional communicators will discuss the sources of creativity in their work as engineers and educators. You will experience their refreshing approach to design and see how it influences their hallmark innovative solutions to engineering problems. The same inspiration applies in their novel educational approach for engineering students at the University of London. This is a must see event for any young person considering a career in engineering.

RECEPTION

Date: Thursday 13th February 2014

Time: 6.30pm – 7.30pm

Venue: Jean Monnet Theatre Foyer, Main Building, University of Limerick

LECTURE

Date: Thursday 13th February 2014

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: Jean Monnet Theatre, Main Building, University of Limerick

REMINDER!

The Chartered Member (CM) Prep course begins next Monday, 3rd February in Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street (map).

The course starts Monday 3^rd Feb and runs every Monday for 5 weeks, in Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street (Room 248) from 6:30 to 9:00pm:

• Monday 3rd February
• Monday 10th February
• Monday 17th February
• Monday 24th February
• Monday 3rd March

The course fee is €300. Interested candidates should register in advance by sending their details to: registrations@istructe.ie.

Dates: 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th February, 3rd March

Time: 6:30 to 9:00pm

Venue: Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street (Room 248)

Annual Dinner

Friday 7^th February 2014

The Dining Hall, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2.

The Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers is pleased to announce details of the Annual Dinner 2014. This is the principal social event for members and we would like to welcome all members,  guests, colleagues and friends in groups or as individuals.

We appreciate the current economic situation and in an effort to encourage more of our members to attend, we have made some significant changes this year;

• Ticket price has been reduced from €90 in 2013, to €80 per head.
• Ticket price will include a pre-drinks reception and half a bottle of wine per person.
• Members will be seated at dining tables which are more suitable to accommodate individual members as well as company groups.

The dinner will be attended by the President of the Institution in 2014, Mr Nick Russell, the Chief Executive, Mr Martin Powell and our speaker for the evening is Mr Tom Kelly, Divisional Manager, Manufacturing & Competitiveness with Enterprise Ireland.

Pre-dinner drinks reception starts at 7.00p.m with the dinner beginning at 8.00p.m. (black tie).

To confirm your place, please use the attached Annual Dinner Reservation Form 2014. It can be posted, or scanned and emailed to:

Una Beagon,

Dept. of Civil & Structural Engineering,

Dublin Institute of Technology,Bolton St, Dublin 1.

Email: una.beagon@dit.ie     Phone: 086 385 7236 .

Please return all reservations by Friday 24th January.

The Irish Concrete Society is a well-established learned body, founded to promote excellence in the use of concrete and to also provide a valuable service to the wider construction industry. The Society is seeking to appoint an Executive Officer to further enhance and develop the services offered by the Society.

Responsibilities and Duties:
This role will involve working under the direction of, and reporting to, the Directors and Council of the Society; however, the successful candidate must have the ability to work on their own and to promote participation among members and committees. The successful candidate will also be expected to work with minimal day-today direction, be highly self-motivated and have a professional enthusiasm for concrete as a construction material.

Requirements:
The ideal candidate should have a third level qualification, preferably a degree in a construction discipline, and have several years’ experience in the construction industry. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential in this role, as is a good working knowledge of information technology. Candidates will be required to demonstrate strong business acumen and administrative abilities. Experience is essential in either concrete technology or structural concrete design and supervision. Chartered professional status would be an advantage.

Application:

Please forward a CV outlining relevant experience and qualifications and other supporting documentation, along with at least one recent work reference, to:

The Honorary Secretary, The Irish Concrete Society, Platin, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Tel: 041 9876466 : Secretary@concrete.ie; www.concrete.ie
The closing date for applications is 17th January 2014.

The vacancy is advertised in full on the Irish Concrete Society website (here) and a pdf of the job description is available here.

This CPD course is for practicing engineers who wish to gain a basic working knowledge of Eurocodes for structural design. The course will be delivered by John Jones, a Chartered Civil & Structural Engineer from the Institute of Technology, Tralee (ITT) School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) from January to March 2014.

Registration & Cost:
ITT Development Office – CPD
€ 300 for 6 No. 2 hour sessions. (Min. 6 Participants)

Dates / Time / Venue:
Thursdays starting on 30/01/2014 and finishing on 06/03/2014,
6.15 pm to 8.15 pm
C216, ITT South Campus, Clash

Prerequisites:
A basic working knowledge of the superseded British & Irish Standards for structural engineering is necessary.

Further Information:

Contact John Jones on 087 6294595 or john.jones@ittralee.ie

A flyer is available to download here.

Save the Date!

The Annual Dinner of the RoI Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers will be held on Friday 7th February 2014 in The Dining Hall, Trinity College Dublin.

We appreciate the current financial situation of many of our members and in an effort to encourage more of our members to attend, we have made some significant changes this year;

• The ticket price has been reduced from last year (€90) to €80 in 2014.
• The ticket price includes a pre-dinner drinks reception and a half bottle of wine per person.
• The event will be held in The Dining Hall, Trinity College Dublin (map). Members will be seated at dining tables which is more suitable to accommodate individual members in addition to company tables, hopefully encouraging more networking amongst our members.

We will be in touch again in the New Year with but if you would like further information or to book tickets, please contact una.beagon@dit.ie.

The Republic of Ireland Regional Group is pleased to present a lecture on The Structural Use of Glass in Buildings by Chris O’Regan, BEng(Hons) CEng MIStructE.

This talk is a preview of Structural Use of Glass in Buildings – 2nd Edition that is a new guidance text due to be published in January 2014. Presented by Chris O’Regan, the book’s technical author, a glimpse of what is contained in the text as well as a worked example of how to design structural glass elements using limit state theory will be given. This presentation will be the book’s first public outing and exclusive preview content will be provided to attendees.

 The talk will follow the Regional Group AGM on Tuesday 10 December 2013, as follows:

• 17.30 – RoI Regional Group AGM
• 18.30 – Lecture on Structural Use of Glass

A flyer for the event is available for download here.

Venue: Room 227, DIT Bolton St
Date: Tuesday, 10 December, 2013
Time: 17.30 AGM, 18:30 Lecture

The RoI Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers, in conjunction with Engineers Ireland and The Irish Concrete Society will be hosting an evening lecture on Monday 25th November 2013 at 18.30 in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork (map).

The lecture is entitled: “The Design of the New Forth Crossing” and will describe the construction of a new cable-stayed bridge across the Firth of Forth in Scotland.

The lecture will be given by Mr. Peter Fitzgerald, Chartered Engineer, Principal Engineer for Ramboll Consulting Engineers. Mr. Fitzgerald will outline the main challenges faced by the design team, along with the proposed construction methodology and will give an overview of the main aspects of the construction works that have been completed to date.

A flyer publicising the event is available to download here: Forth Bridge Flyer

On Tuesday, 19 November, the Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the IStructE will host their annual Graduate Evening. This event offers engineering students a chance to learn more about the various career paths available to them following graduation and will be of particular benefit to final-year students. On the evening three recent graduates will make presentations detailing their personal experiences, and will answer questions from the audience. This year the speakers will be:

• Orla Mannion  BEng (Arup) – Orla is a Design Engineer with Arup in the Dublin office. She graduated from National University of Ireland, Galway with an Honours Degree in Civil Engineering in 2012. Orla began working within the Highways group in Arup before moving to the Structural team at the start of 2013. Since joining the structures team Orla has been working on a large scale health care project and during her time on this project Orla has gained experience in detailed concrete and steel design as well as various analysis and modeling programs such as Sofistik and GSA.
• Darragh Noble BA, BAI, MAI (Trinity College Dublin) – Graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2012 at both bachelors and masters level. Currently undertaking a PhD in Structural Engineering, specifically looking at how prestress force magnitude and eccentricity affects natural vibration frequency for prestressed concrete structures. Darragh has previously undertaken internships in 2010 and 2012 with Buro Happold, UK and Hilti AG, Liechtenstein in 2011.

The evening promises to be highly informative and is open to all interested members of the public.

Click here: Graduate_Evening_2013 to download a flyer to publicize the event.

Venue: Room F14, Newstead Building, University College Dublin (Map)
Date: Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Time: 18:30

On Wednesday, 30th October 2013, Sophie Le Bourva, Associate Director of Arup, London, and former colleague of Peter Rice shall give a presentation entitled “Traces of Peter Rice”, to coincide with the exhibition taking place in Farmleigh Gallery from 10 October – 23 December 2013.

Sophie Le Bourva worked in Peter’s team at Arup from her graduation until his untimely death in 1992.  In this lecture she will outline how Peter’s innovative approach to interdisciplinary design of projects inspired people and how his legacy is still doing so today.

The lecture will be preceded by a short film on some highlights of Peter’s background and achievements.

The event has been publicized on the Engineers Ireland website and is available via the following link.

A flyer is available to download and publicize the event: Traces-of-Peter-Rice-flyer.

Date: Wednesday 30th October

Time: 18:00 for 18:30

Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4

Save the Date! The RoI Regional Group of the IStructE are organising a social event to view the exhibition being held at Farmleigh on Wednesday 23rd October 2013.  Further details to follow.

“Traces of Peter Rice” is a collection of essays celebrating the life of the late Peter Rice, 20 years after his death, edited by Kevin Barry (Emeritus Professor, NUIG) and published by Lilliput Press.

An exhibition based on the book and celebrating the life and career of Peter Rice will be held in the Farmleigh Gallery between 10 October – 23 December 2013. The book was launched in Ireland by Ruairi Quinn, TD, Minister for Education and Skills, on the 21st February 2013. It is also a companion to a series of three major commemorative colloquia and exhibitions, two of which in Paris and Dublin are contributions marking Ireland’s Presidency of the EU. The Paris and Dublin exhibitions are curated by Prof. Kevin Barry, and are run my the Office of Public Works in conjunction with Arup.

The exhibition will include a series of workshops and projects on structural design, and interaction with primary, secondary, and third level students, details of which will be issued in the coming weeks.

Date: Wednesday 23rd October 2013

Time: 18.30

Venue: Farmleigh Gallery

Abstract

Many of the building regulations have been updated and revised recently to reflect the move to Eurocodes and the introduction of the Construction Products Regulation.  John Wickham Architecture/Building Standards in The Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government will present to the Institution of Structural Engineers on these changes in a talk entitled “The Essential Changes for Building Industry Professionals”.  The talk will also cover the Construction Products Regulation which requires mandatory CE MARKING of all construction products from July 2013 in line with the harmonised European Standards.

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations will come into force on the 1^st March 2014.  Following on from the hugely successful presentation held by the Institution of Structural Engineers in conjunction with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) we are delighted that Martin Vaughan Architecture/Building Standards Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government will provide an update on the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations.

A flyer is available for download here.

The Draft Code of Practice can be downloaded here: DRAFT Code for Inspecting & Certifying Building Works- Building Control Regulations.

Venue: Rm 281 DIT Bolton St.
Date: Wednesday, 25th September, 2013
Time: Reception: 18:00, Lecture: 18:30

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) have recently opened a public consultations period for new standards being introduced.  In particular, topics such as;

• S.R. 21: “Guidance on the use of I.S. EN 13242:2013 –Aggregates for unbound and hydraulically bound materials for use in civil engineering work and road construction”,
• I.S. 440: “Timber frame dwellings”, and
• S.R. 325: “Recommendations for the design of masonry structures in Ireland to Eurocode 6”

To view the proposed documents and submit your comments please visit www.nsai.ie.

Call for papers!

Do you have an interesting project you would like to tell us about or perhaps just a smart design shortcut that is worth sharing ?

‘The Structural Engineer’ is calling for submissions. We actively encourage our members in the Republic of Ireland Regional Group to submit articles (in pdf form) to the editorial office at: editorial@istructe.org. If you are unsure as to whether your contribution is suitable for initial consideration, we welcome the submission of a synopsis on which an initial determination can be made.

Please visit www.istructe.org/thestructuralengineer/guidetocontributors for more details.

Are you interested Earthquake Engineering?

Do you want to get involved in helping develop tools and resources for seismic hazards and risk assessment in Ireland and across the globe?

GEM (Global Earthquake Model) is an international forum where organisations and people come together to develop, use and share tools and resources for transparent assessment of earthquake risk. It’s motto is: ‘Working together to assess risk.’  GEM achieve this through international scientific consortia developing global best practice, datasets and tools, as well as through regional partnerships in all continents, collaborative projects, open-source software development, rigorous testing and knowledge sharing. GEM are currently looking for structural engineering volunteers in the Republic of Ireland to assist in our development.

The GEM initiative aims to establish an independent, uniform standard to calculate and communicate earthquake risk worldwide, a Global Earthquake Model.  Most countries do not currently consider earthquakes in the design of conventional structures, with the exception of nuclear power plants, which are designed for very rare earthquakes. GEM is interested in the nature and extent of construction in all countries, including Ireland. Initially, the assistance that GEM is looking for from its members worldwide is the taxonomy of the built environment in members’ own countries.

If you are interested, please visit www.globalquakemodel.org.

On Tuesday, 8th October 2013, the Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the IStructE will host its annual Student Prize competition evening, in Room 259, DIT Bolton St. A reception will take place at 18:00 followed by presentations from the nominees at 18:30. Each nominee will make a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation on their project. Each presentation will be followed by questions from three industry-representative judges, after which some questions shall be invited from the floor.

This years nominees are:

• CIT: James Barry – “Stressing Geometry Control of Cable Stayed Bridges”
• DIT: Aaron Condren – “The Effect of Pylon Sway on Cable Vibrations in Cable Stayed Bridges”
• NUIG: Peter Berrill & Paul Moran – “Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of a University Building in Ireland”
• TCD: Daniel O’Brien – “Analysis of the Earthquake Response of Steel Structures using OpenSees” 
• UCC: Cian Long & Patrick O’Kelly-Lynch – “The Structural Design Implications of Attaching a Point Absorber to a Wind Turbine Monopile”
• UCD (BEng): Evan Brennan & Eoin Dunleavy – “Hybrid Foundation Analysis for Offshore Wind Turbines”
• UCD (Struct. Eng. & Arch): Brian Kealy – “An Investigation into Finite Element Testing of Hybrid Gravity Base Foundations for Offshore Wind Turbine Use”

The Regional Group would like to congratulate all of the students on their nomination and is looking forward to hearing their presentations. The evening promises to be highly informative for both industry practitioners and students.

Click to download a flyer to publicize the event: Student_Prize_Flyer_2013

Location: Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton St. (Room 259)
Date: 8 October 2013
Time: Tea and coffee reception at 18:00. Presentations start at 18:30.

Members of the IStructE in the Republic of Ireland may be interested in the upcoming “Open House Dublin” event, organised by Irish Architecture Foundation. Over the weekend of Friday 4th – Sunday 6th October, many iconic Dublin buildings will be opening their doors to the public. A full list of the buildings to be open to the public is available on the official website. It should be noted that certain buildings have certain admission times and members are advised to consult the official website for full details.

Structural engineers may be especially interested in some of the following:

1. Donnybrook Bus Garage,
2. Commissioners of Irish Lights, Dun Laoighaire,
3. Old Terminal Building, Dublin Airport,

It should be noted that the majority of the buildings are open for viewing, but some may have limited capacity and are accessible on the basis of application and a lottery system. Full details are available on the official website.

The deadline for voting in the 2013 Election of Vice-Presidents and Ordinary Council Members of the Institution of Structural Engineers is 12 noon on Monday 2 September 2013.

Members are encouraged to use their vote by visiting http://votebyinternet.com/istructe13 and entering their two-part security code.

Members are advised not to hit the submit button until they have finished viewing the candidate’s election statements and have finished voting as they will not be able to re-enter the website.

For candidates intending to apply for a Professional Review Interview (PRI), the deadline is the 1 September 2013.

You will need to complete the IPD Final Report Form for each of the 12/13 core objectives within your Initial Professional Development (IPD). The IPD Final Report should be your statement summarising how all your experience and training has enabled you to satisfy the requirements of the objectives.

Further information on the PRI is available by following the link to the IStructE website.

For candidates intending to apply for Chartered Membership through the Mutual Recognition Agreement route (and to sit the Chartered Membership exam in March 2014) please note that Form M/MRA and the relevant supporting documentation should be returned to the Institution no later than 20 November 2013. For further information, please contact the membership department at membership@istructe.org.

Further information on the MRA Route can be found by following the link to the Institution of Structural Engineers website.

It is with great sadness that the Republic of Ireland Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers has learned of the passing of Alex Tait, a long-time member of the Scottish Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers.

Many of our members knew Alex personally and remember his infectious personality fondly. He had made many friends over the years within our Regional Group and will be sadly missed.

The Republic of Ireland Regional Group would like to take this opportunity to extend our sympathies to his Family, Friends and Colleagues.

May he rest in peace.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Alex Tait RIP

Continued Professional Development

Continued Professional Development (CPD) is the systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skill and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout the practitioner’s working life. Undertaking CPD is a commitment to enhancing skills and capability throughout a professional career.

CPD Activity Record

To create your CPD submission, please log into My Account

CPD helps to:

• Maintain and enhance knowledge and skills – improving performance, confidence and career prospects
• Focus an individual’s career development – allowing specific areas of development to be targeted
• Broaden an individual’s skills set – to better adapt to change in the workplace
• Demonstrate commitment to the profession – through personal CPD records and/or the Institution’s CPD Activity Record (a template and completed example are provided below)

Mandatory Reporting of CPD

Whilst the reporting of CPD is now mandatory for members of the Institution who have become professionally qualified since January 2011, the Institution strongly encourages all members to report their CPD activities. Details of how you can meet the Institution’s reporting requirements can be found in the guidance document below.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.

Continuing Professional Development: Activity Record

Continuing Professional Development: Activity Record (PDF)

Mandatory Reporting of Continuing Professional Development