A. M. Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Archibald Milne Hamilton (1898–1972) was a New Zealand
-born civil engineer
, notable for building the Hamilton Road through Kurdistan and designing the Callender-Hamilton bridge
system. His name is also associated with the Callendar-Hamilton aeroplane shed of the late 1930s.
, New Zealand, the son of W.M. and J.S. Hamilton on 18 November 1898. He was educated at Waitaki Boys' High School
. In 1924 he graduated from Canterbury College
with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) degree.
He married Bettina Matraves Collier, a medical doctor in 1934, and they had six children. The second eldest of these was the evolutionary biologist W. D. Hamilton
, and one of their daughters, Mary R. Bliss, who followed her mother by becoming a doctor, achieved some notability for designing mattresses.
Board, New Zealand where he designed a wave model for planning port improvements. Next he worked at the Admiralty, London, designing the Singapore Naval Base.
, which ran from Arbil
, through Rawandiz, to the Iranian border near modern-day Piranshahr
. The road became known as the Hamilton Road. Although Hamilton hoped the road would unite the peoples of the region, it has been fought over many times. He described the building of the road in a 1937 book entitled Road through Kurdistan.
s with components that could easily be transported and erected in remote and/or difficult terrain
. With British Insulated Callenders Cables, now Balfour Beatty Power Networks Ltd, he designed the Callender-Hamilton bridge
system, the income from which helped support his family. The parts of the bridge were bolted together like a Meccano
set, and it was popular with the British Army
away from the battle front. The failure of the First World War Inglis bridge led to the development of the Bailey bridge
. Hamilton successfully claimed to the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors
that the 'Bailey' bridge had breached his patent
. Because the 'Bailey' used a pin joining system similar to that used in a Martel design, Hamilton told the Commission the bridge should be called a 'Martel Mk2'.
The War Office, in 1936, gave Hamilton 4000 pounds for the free non-civil use of his Unit Construction bridge. In 1954 the Commission gave him 10000 pounds for the bridges used in S.E.A.C. in India.
In 1955 Hamilton told the Commission that Martel deserved more than the 12000 pounds that Bailey got, Martel was given 500 pounds.
. These are easily recognisable from the more numerous contemporary Bellman and T-type hangars by their intricate internal framework and external overhead door rails. Preserved examples - now listed - of these hangars can be seen today at the Museum of Flight
at East Fortune near Edinburgh.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
-born civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
, notable for building the Hamilton Road through Kurdistan and designing the Callender-Hamilton bridge
Callender-Hamilton bridge
The Callender-Hamilton bridge is a modular portable pre-fabricated truss bridge. It is primarily designed for use as permanent civil bridging as well as for emergency bridge replacement and for construction by military engineering units...
system. His name is also associated with the Callendar-Hamilton aeroplane shed of the late 1930s.
Early life, marriage and children
He was born in WaimateWaimate
WaimateUrban AreaPopulation:2,835 Extent:Territorial AuthorityName:Waimate District CouncilPopulation:7,206 Land area:3,582.19 km² Mayor:John ColesWebsite:...
, New Zealand, the son of W.M. and J.S. Hamilton on 18 November 1898. He was educated at Waitaki Boys' High School
Waitaki Boys' High School
Waitaki Boys' High School is a secondary school for boys located in the northern part of the town of Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand, with day and boarding facilities, and was founded in 1883. It currently has a school roll of just over 530....
. In 1924 he graduated from Canterbury College
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) degree.
He married Bettina Matraves Collier, a medical doctor in 1934, and they had six children. The second eldest of these was the evolutionary biologist W. D. Hamilton
W. D. Hamilton
William Donald Hamilton FRS was a British evolutionary biologist, widely recognised as one of the greatest evolutionary theorists of the 20th century....
, and one of their daughters, Mary R. Bliss, who followed her mother by becoming a doctor, achieved some notability for designing mattresses.
Early career
He worked for the Lyttelton HarbourLyttelton Harbour
Lyttelton Harbour is one of two major inlets in Banks Peninsula, on the coast of Canterbury, New Zealand. The other is Akaroa Harbour.Approximately 15 km in length from its mouth to Teddington, the harbour was formed from a series of ancient volcanic eruptions that created a caldera, the...
Board, New Zealand where he designed a wave model for planning port improvements. Next he worked at the Admiralty, London, designing the Singapore Naval Base.
Hamilton Road
Between 1928 and 1932 Hamilton was the principal engineer of a British-built strategic road across Iraqi KurdistanIraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
, which ran from Arbil
Arbil
Arbil / Hewlêr is the fourth largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, Basra and Mosul...
, through Rawandiz, to the Iranian border near modern-day Piranshahr
Piranshahr
Piranshahr is a city in and the capital of Piranshahr County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 57,692, in 12,184 families....
. The road became known as the Hamilton Road. Although Hamilton hoped the road would unite the peoples of the region, it has been fought over many times. He described the building of the road in a 1937 book entitled Road through Kurdistan.
Callender-Hamilton Bridge
During the construction of the road, Hamilton became aware of the need for strong, adaptable bridgeBridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s with components that could easily be transported and erected in remote and/or difficult terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
. With British Insulated Callenders Cables, now Balfour Beatty Power Networks Ltd, he designed the Callender-Hamilton bridge
Callender-Hamilton bridge
The Callender-Hamilton bridge is a modular portable pre-fabricated truss bridge. It is primarily designed for use as permanent civil bridging as well as for emergency bridge replacement and for construction by military engineering units...
system, the income from which helped support his family. The parts of the bridge were bolted together like a Meccano
Meccano
Meccano is a model construction system comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. It enables the building of working models and mechanical devices....
set, and it was popular with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
away from the battle front. The failure of the First World War Inglis bridge led to the development of the Bailey bridge
Bailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
. Hamilton successfully claimed to the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors
Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors
A Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors is a periodic Royal Commission of the United Kingdom used to hear patent disputes.On October 6, 1919 a Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors was convened to hear 11 claims for the invention of the tank....
that the 'Bailey' bridge had breached his patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
. Because the 'Bailey' used a pin joining system similar to that used in a Martel design, Hamilton told the Commission the bridge should be called a 'Martel Mk2'.
The War Office, in 1936, gave Hamilton 4000 pounds for the free non-civil use of his Unit Construction bridge. In 1954 the Commission gave him 10000 pounds for the bridges used in S.E.A.C. in India.
In 1955 Hamilton told the Commission that Martel deserved more than the 12000 pounds that Bailey got, Martel was given 500 pounds.
Callendar-Hamilton Aeroplane Shed
BICC also designed an interesting type of transportable aeroplane hangar in the late 1930s for military use. Although not ordered in quantity by the Air Ministry, a number of these Callendar-Hamilton hangars were built in Britain in the late 1930s and early years of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. These are easily recognisable from the more numerous contemporary Bellman and T-type hangars by their intricate internal framework and external overhead door rails. Preserved examples - now listed - of these hangars can be seen today at the Museum of Flight
Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is a private non-profit air and space museum at King County International Airport , south of downtown Seattle, Washington. It was established in 1965 and is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums...
at East Fortune near Edinburgh.