Imperial College Civil & Environmental Engineering
Encyclopedia
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London
is located in the Skempton Building
at the South Kensington Campus in London
. It is one of the 9 main academic departments of the Faculty of Engineering
. The current Head of the Department is Professor David A. Nethercot
, whereas the Deputy Head of the Department is Professor David Potts.
, which was formed in 1907 when Imperial College (then formally named as Imperial College of Science and Technology) was founded. Before that, the Faculty of Engineering was the City and Guilds of London Institute
which was formed in 1878.
In 1884 the Institution of Civil and Mechanical Engineering was formed until 1913 when the Institution was split into two Departments, the Department of Civil Engineering
and the Department of Mechanical Engineering
. When the two departments were united, the Heads of the Institution of Civil and Mechanical Engineering were:
However, from 1913 when the Department of Civil Engineering was separated, the Heads were:
Each section has its own Head and its own laboratories. Research carried out in the department covers experimental, analytical, computational and theoretical work. Additionally, field research is conducted, especially in the Environmental and Geotechnical Engineering Sections. Each section is responsible for their postgraduate courses, taught and non-taught.
degree. Students can study for an MEng in Civil Engineering or in Civil Engineering with a year abroad. In the latter, the students may choose to spend their fourth and final year at a collaborating institution. The current list of institutions includes the following institutions:
All students graduating with the MEng degree are also awarded the Associateship of the City & Guilds Institute
, ACGI.
degree. The department currently offers a number of postgraduate taught courses covering its main research areas and which may be combined with some modules in Business Management and Sustainable Development.
Research postgraduate studies are available for a number of students and they lead to the award of a PhD
or even to award of an EngD
degree. The former are designed to last normally for 3–4 years whereas the latter are normally designed to last for 4 years. The subjects of the Doctoral studies are mainly related to the research interests of the academic staff and they are generally covered by the areas mentioned in the Research paragraph along with some aspects of Engineering Geology, Engineering Seismology, Earthquake Engineering, Air Quality Management, Port Operations, Positioning and Navigation etc.
All students graduating with the any of the postgraduate degrees (MSc, PhD or EngD) are also awarded the Diploma of Imperial College
, DIC.
. It used to be part of the Imperial College Library, but from 2009 it is a part of the Institution of Civil Engineers
(ICE) library. It is said to be the second largest Civil Engineering Library in the world, to the ICE's main Library. This Library covers mainly standard reference textbooks, academic journals, proceedings of conferences, geological maps, theses, electronic information resources and a collection of old historic books some of them dated back to the 19th century.
, several others have received other classes of the Order of the British Empire
, 5 people received the prestigious Institution of Structural Engineers
Gold Medal, 9 people delivered the British Geotechnical Association Rankine Lecture
and several have been Fellows of the Royal Society
and the Royal Academy of Engineering
and have delivered the Geotechnique Lecture.
Several notable people have passed from it and some of them are (in alphabetical order):
, (ICE) Professor Paul Jowitt is an alumnus of the Department. The current Head, Professor David A. Nethercot
is a past President of the Institution of Structural Engineers
(IStructE), whereas the current President of the Society for Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics (SECED) is the Head of the Structural Engineering Section, Professor Ahmed Elghazouli, who is also the UK's national delegate for international committees for Earthquake Engineering. The current Director of the RAC Foundation
is the Department's Professor of Transport Economics, Professor Stephen Glaister
who is also Partnership Director of Tube Lines
and has also been a board member of Transport for London
(TfL). The current Head of the Civil & Environmental Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, (MIT), Professor Andrew J. Whittle is also a graduate of the Department.
Moreover, there is a close link with a number of companies in the industry. Not only general engineering firms but also some more specialist companies have strong bonds with the Department. A number of high level consulting specialist companies, such as Novacem , GCG , PORTeC and GeO are "spin-outs" of the Department through collaborations of the Academics and external Enterpreneurs.
The strong bonds of the Department with the outside academic and professional world can be seen through the various close collaborations with professional bodies and association. Examples are the prestigious British Geotechnical Association's Rankine Lecture
which is hosted every March at Imperial College , the organisation of the Centre for Transport Studies (a collaboration between Imperial College and University College London
), several seminars organised by the Institution of Structural Engineers
(such as IStructE Gold Medal awards ), and seminar orgnaised by the Institution of Civil Engineers
and its bodies such as the Society for Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics (SECED).
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
is located in the Skempton Building
Skempton Building
The Skempton Building houses the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. It is named after the British Civil Engineer Sir Alec Skempton, founder of the British Soil Mechanics...
at the South Kensington Campus in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is one of the 9 main academic departments of the Faculty of Engineering
Imperial College Faculty of Engineering
The Faculty of Engineering is one of the three main Faculties of Imperial College London. It was formed in 2001 from the former City and Guilds College and the Royal School of Mines - two of the three original 'Constituent Colleges' of Imperial College when the latter was formed in 1907...
. The current Head of the Department is Professor David A. Nethercot
David A. Nethercot
Professor David Nethercot OBE, BSc, PhD, DSc, FREng, FIStructE, FICE, FCGI is a British structural engineer.He is the current Head of the Civil Engineering Department at Imperial College London. He was president of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2003-04 and the 2008 recipient of their...
, whereas the Deputy Head of the Department is Professor David Potts.
Brief history & past heads
The Department is currently a part of the Imperial College Faculty of EngineeringImperial College Faculty of Engineering
The Faculty of Engineering is one of the three main Faculties of Imperial College London. It was formed in 2001 from the former City and Guilds College and the Royal School of Mines - two of the three original 'Constituent Colleges' of Imperial College when the latter was formed in 1907...
, which was formed in 1907 when Imperial College (then formally named as Imperial College of Science and Technology) was founded. Before that, the Faculty of Engineering was the City and Guilds of London Institute
City and Guilds of London Institute
The City and Guilds of London Institute is a leading United Kingdom vocational education organisation. City & Guilds offers more than 500 qualifications over the whole range of industry sectors through 8500 colleges and training providers in 81 countries worldwide...
which was formed in 1878.
In 1884 the Institution of Civil and Mechanical Engineering was formed until 1913 when the Institution was split into two Departments, the Department of Civil Engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
and the Department of Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
. When the two departments were united, the Heads of the Institution of Civil and Mechanical Engineering were:
- 1884–1904: Professor Sir William UnwinWilliam UnwinWilliam Cawthorne Unwin FRS was a British civil and mechanical engineer. He is noted for his extensive work on hydraulics and engines as well as his close association with William Fairbairn. He is one of only a few men who have served as president of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and the...
- 1904–1913: Professor William DalbyWilliam Dalby (engineer)Professor William Ernest Dalby, FRS was a British engineer.At the age of 14 he started work in the Stratford Locomotive Works of the Great Eastern Railway. In 1884 he moved to work in the Crewe Works of the London and North Western Railway as Chief Assistant in the Permanent Way Department...
However, from 1913 when the Department of Civil Engineering was separated, the Heads were:
- 1913–1933: Professor Stephen M. Dixon – (Railways and Bridges)
- 1933–1956: Professor Alfred PippardAlfred PippardAlfred John Sutton Pippard MBE FRS was a British civil engineer and academic. Pippard was the son of a carpenter and joiner and spent much of his early life helping his father on construction sites...
– (Structural Analysis and Aeronautical Structures) - 1957–1976: Professor Sir Alec SkemptonAlec SkemptonSir Alec Skempton FRS was a leader in and founding father of Soil Mechanics. As a founding member of the Institution of Civil Engineers' Soil Mechanics and Foundations committees he studied at City and Guilds College London and established the Soil Mechanics course at Imperial College London,...
– (Soil Mechanics) - 1976–1982: Professor Bernard George Neal – (Engineering Structures)
- 1982–1985: Professor John Ian Munro – (Civil Engineering Systems)
- 1986–1994: Professor Patrick J. Dowling – (Structural Engineering)
- 1994–1997: Professor Roger E. Hobbs – (Structural Engineering)
- 1997–1999: Professor Tony M. Ridley – (Transport)
- 1999 – now: Professor David A. NethercotDavid A. NethercotProfessor David Nethercot OBE, BSc, PhD, DSc, FREng, FIStructE, FICE, FCGI is a British structural engineer.He is the current Head of the Civil Engineering Department at Imperial College London. He was president of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2003-04 and the 2008 recipient of their...
– (Structural Engineering)
Structure & research
The Department currently consists of 8 main Sections which cover the whole range of research carried out at the department. These 8 sections are:- Environmental & Water Resource Engineering
- Fluid MechanicsFluid mechanicsFluid mechanics is the study of fluids and the forces on them. Fluid mechanics can be divided into fluid statics, the study of fluids at rest; fluid kinematics, the study of fluids in motion; and fluid dynamics, the study of the effect of forces on fluid motion...
- Soil MechanicsSoil mechanicsSoil mechanics is a branch of engineering mechanics that describes the behavior of soils. It differs from fluid mechanics and solid mechanics in the sense that soils consist of a heterogeneous mixture of fluids and particles but soil may also contain organic solids, liquids, and gasses and other...
/ GeotechnicsGeotechnicsGeotechnics is the application of scientific methods and engineering principles to the acquisition, interpretation, and use of knowledge of materials of the Earth's crust and earth materials for the solution of engineering problems... - TransportTransportTransport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
- SteelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
Structures - Structural EngineeringStructural engineeringStructural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
- Systems and MechanicsMechanicsMechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
- ConcreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
Structures
Each section has its own Head and its own laboratories. Research carried out in the department covers experimental, analytical, computational and theoretical work. Additionally, field research is conducted, especially in the Environmental and Geotechnical Engineering Sections. Each section is responsible for their postgraduate courses, taught and non-taught.
Study
The department covers both undergraduate and postgraduate level studies, as well as a number of short courses for practising engineers.Undergraduate
The Department offers the opportunity to follow Undergraduate studies leading to the MEngMaster of Engineering
A Master of Engineering or Master of Technology or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in Ingeniaria) (abbreviated M.Eng., ME or MEng) or Master of Technology (abbreviated M.Tech. or MTech) or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in...
degree. Students can study for an MEng in Civil Engineering or in Civil Engineering with a year abroad. In the latter, the students may choose to spend their fourth and final year at a collaborating institution. The current list of institutions includes the following institutions:
- University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, UCB - Ecole Nationale des Ponts et ChausséesÉcole Nationale des Ponts et ChausséesFounded in 1747, the École nationale des ponts et chaussées , often referred to as les Ponts, is the world's oldest civil engineering school...
, ENPC (Paris) - Rheinisch Westfälische Technische Hochschule, RWTH (Aachen)
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Hydraulique et de Mécanique de Grenoble
- Technische Universiteit Delft, TUD (Netherlands)
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, ETHEthEth is a letter used in Old English, Icelandic, Faroese , and Elfdalian. It was also used in Scandinavia during the Middle Ages, but was subsequently replaced with dh and later d. The capital eth resembles a D with a line through the vertical stroke...
(Zürich) - University of MelbourneUniversity of MelbourneThe University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
(Australia) - Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong Kong Polytechnic UniversityThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University specialises in professional education in Hong Kong. The University’s teaching units are grouped under six faculties and two schools; the Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Construction and Environment, Faculty of...
- Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos (Madrid)
- Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (Barcelona)
All students graduating with the MEng degree are also awarded the Associateship of the City & Guilds Institute
City and Guilds of London Institute
The City and Guilds of London Institute is a leading United Kingdom vocational education organisation. City & Guilds offers more than 500 qualifications over the whole range of industry sectors through 8500 colleges and training providers in 81 countries worldwide...
, ACGI.
Postgraduate
Taught postgraduate courses last for one year and they are leading to the award of the MScMaster of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree. The department currently offers a number of postgraduate taught courses covering its main research areas and which may be combined with some modules in Business Management and Sustainable Development.
Research postgraduate studies are available for a number of students and they lead to the award of a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
or even to award of an EngD
Doctor of Engineering
The Doctor of Engineering is an academic degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and research in engineering or applied sciences...
degree. The former are designed to last normally for 3–4 years whereas the latter are normally designed to last for 4 years. The subjects of the Doctoral studies are mainly related to the research interests of the academic staff and they are generally covered by the areas mentioned in the Research paragraph along with some aspects of Engineering Geology, Engineering Seismology, Earthquake Engineering, Air Quality Management, Port Operations, Positioning and Navigation etc.
All students graduating with the any of the postgraduate degrees (MSc, PhD or EngD) are also awarded the Diploma of Imperial College
Diploma of Imperial College
The Diploma of the Imperial College is an academic certificate awarded by Imperial College London to its postgraduate students upon graduation. Until recently, Imperial was part of the University of London and Imperial College bestowed the University of London's degrees as well as its own...
, DIC.
Short courses
The Department also organises some short courses for people in Industry and other interested professionals. These courses are provided by some members of staff, experts in their field who are invited to provide consulting work and advice on several technical issues. Short courses available in the Department include:- Advanced Soil Characterisation
- Civil Engineering MSc Modules for CPD
- New Methods for Driven Piles in Sands & Clays
- Numerical Analysis in Geotechnical Engineering
- Post Tensioning Design and Construction
- Seismic Design to Eurocode 8
- Short Course on Foundations
Library
The Department has its own Departmental Library is located on the fourth floor in the Skempton BuildingSkempton Building
The Skempton Building houses the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. It is named after the British Civil Engineer Sir Alec Skempton, founder of the British Soil Mechanics...
. It used to be part of the Imperial College Library, but from 2009 it is a part of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
(ICE) library. It is said to be the second largest Civil Engineering Library in the world, to the ICE's main Library. This Library covers mainly standard reference textbooks, academic journals, proceedings of conferences, geological maps, theses, electronic information resources and a collection of old historic books some of them dated back to the 19th century.
People
The department of Civil and Environemental Engineering has had a significant contribution to the science over the last decades of its existence. From the academics of the department, 2 have been KnightedKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
, several others have received other classes of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, 5 people received the prestigious Institution of Structural Engineers
Institution of Structural Engineers
The Institution of Structural Engineers is a professional body for structural engineering based in the United Kingdom. It has 27,000 members in 105 countries. The Institution provides professional accreditation for structural engineers...
Gold Medal, 9 people delivered the British Geotechnical Association Rankine Lecture
Rankine Lecture
The Rankine Lecture is hosted in March each year by the British Geotechnical Association. It is widely viewed as the most prestigious of the invited lectures in Geotechnics.The lecture commemorates W. J. M...
and several have been Fellows of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and the Royal Academy of Engineering
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
and have delivered the Geotechnique Lecture.
Several notable people have passed from it and some of them are (in alphabetical order):
- Nicolas AmbraseysNicolas AmbraseysProfessor Nicolas Neocles Ambraseys Dip.Eng DIC PhD FICE FREng is a Greek Engineering Seismologist...
, Geotechnical Engineer & Engineering Seismologist – Founder of Engineering Seismology at Imperial College London - Cecil BalmondCecil BalmondCecil Balmond is a Sri Lankan/British designer, engineer, artist, architect, and writer. He has been hailed as "one of the most important forces in contemporary architecture today," and in 2003 received the prestigious RIBA Charles Jencks award for Theory in Practice. He is also the recipient of...
, Civil Engineer - Alan W. BishopAlan W. BishopProfessor Alan Wilfred Bishop MA PhD DIC DSc was a British Geotechnical Engineer and an academic at Imperial College London.He was known for the Bishop's method of analysing soil slopes. After his graduation from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Bishop worked under Alec Skempton and obtained his PhD...
, Geotechnical Engineer – Founder of the Bishop's method of analysing soil slopes - Julian Bommer
- John BurlandJohn BurlandJohn Boscawen Burland CBE, DSc, FREng, FRS is an Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Investigator at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Imperial College London.-Early education:...
, Geotechnical Engineer – The person who stabilised the Tower of Pisa - Stephen GlaisterStephen GlaisterStephen Glaister CBE is Professor of Transport and Infrastructure at the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London where he is also director of the Railway Technology Strategy Centre; a former board member of Transport for London and director of the RAC Foundation...
, Professor of Transport Economics - Rudolph GlossopRudolph GlossopRudolph Glossop was a mining and civil engineer and one of the founders of Geotechnical Engineering in the UK.The Glossop Lecture at the Geological Society is named after him.-External links:*...
, Engineering Geologist - Sir Alan HarrisAlan HarrisAlan Harris is a Welsh playwright. His play A Good Night Out in the Valleys launched the new National Theatre Wales in March 2010 and he has worked with theatre companies throughout the United Kingdom....
, Structural Engineer – one of the pioneers of Prestressed concretePrestressed concretePrestressed concrete is a method for overcoming concrete's natural weakness in tension. It can be used to produce beams, floors or bridges with a longer span than is practical with ordinary reinforced concrete...
in the UK - David Henkel, Geotechnical Engineer
- David Nethercot, Structural Engineer – Involved in the development of Eurocode 3
- Alfred PippardAlfred PippardAlfred John Sutton Pippard MBE FRS was a British civil engineer and academic. Pippard was the son of a carpenter and joiner and spent much of his early life helping his father on construction sites...
, Structural Engineer - Peter RicePeter RicePeter Rice was an Irish structural engineer.Born in 52 Brigid Street, Dundalk in County Louth, he spent his childhood between the town of Dundalk, and the villages of Gyles' Quay and Inniskeen. He was educated at the Queen's University of Belfast where he received his primary degree, and spent a...
, Civil engineer - Sarada K. SarmaSarada K. SarmaDr Sarada Kanta Sarma, BTech PhD DIC MASCE is a Geotechnical Engineer, Emeritus Reader of Engineering Seismology and Senior Research Investigator at Imperial College London...
, Geotechnical Engineer – Founder of the Sarma methodSarma methodThe Sarma method is a method used primarily to assess the stability of soil slopes under seismic conditions. Using appropriate assumptions the method can also be employed for static slope stability analysis. It was proposed by Sarada K...
of analysing the seismic stability of earth slopes and dams - Sir Alec SkemptonAlec SkemptonSir Alec Skempton FRS was a leader in and founding father of Soil Mechanics. As a founding member of the Institution of Civil Engineers' Soil Mechanics and Foundations committees he studied at City and Guilds College London and established the Soil Mechanics course at Imperial College London,...
, Geotechnical Engineer – Founding father of Soil mechanicsSoil mechanicsSoil mechanics is a branch of engineering mechanics that describes the behavior of soils. It differs from fluid mechanics and solid mechanics in the sense that soils consist of a heterogeneous mixture of fluids and particles but soil may also contain organic solids, liquids, and gasses and other... - Peter Rolfe VaughanPeter Rolfe VaughanPeter Rolfe Vaughan, BSc, PhD, DSc, ACGI, DIC, FREng, FICE, FCGI, MASCE, FGS, was Emeritus Professor of Ground Engineering in the Geotechnics department of Imperial College London.-Biography:...
, Geotechnical Engineer – Significant work on embankments and dams - Thomas WyattThomas WyattThomas Wyatt may refer to:* Thomas Wyatt , English poet* Thomas Wyatt the younger , rebel leader* Thomas Henry Wyatt , British architect...
, Structural Engineer - Olgierd ZienkiewiczOlgierd ZienkiewiczOlgierd Cecil Zienkiewicz, CBE, FREng, FRS was a British academic, mathematician, and civil engineer. He was born in Caterham, England. He was one of the early pioneers of the finite element method...
, Civil Engineer – one of the pioneers of the Finite Element MethodFinite element methodThe finite element method is a numerical technique for finding approximate solutions of partial differential equations as well as integral equations...
and its applications
Links
The Department has strong links with industry and professional institutions and bodies. The current President of the Institution of Civil EngineersInstitution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
, (ICE) Professor Paul Jowitt is an alumnus of the Department. The current Head, Professor David A. Nethercot
David A. Nethercot
Professor David Nethercot OBE, BSc, PhD, DSc, FREng, FIStructE, FICE, FCGI is a British structural engineer.He is the current Head of the Civil Engineering Department at Imperial College London. He was president of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2003-04 and the 2008 recipient of their...
is a past President of the Institution of Structural Engineers
Institution of Structural Engineers
The Institution of Structural Engineers is a professional body for structural engineering based in the United Kingdom. It has 27,000 members in 105 countries. The Institution provides professional accreditation for structural engineers...
(IStructE), whereas the current President of the Society for Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics (SECED) is the Head of the Structural Engineering Section, Professor Ahmed Elghazouli, who is also the UK's national delegate for international committees for Earthquake Engineering. The current Director of the RAC Foundation
RAC Foundation
The RAC Foundation is a motoring advocacy group that 'explores the economic, environmental, mobility and safety issues relating to roads and motor vehicles and campaigns to secure a fair deal for responsible road users'...
is the Department's Professor of Transport Economics, Professor Stephen Glaister
Stephen Glaister
Stephen Glaister CBE is Professor of Transport and Infrastructure at the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London where he is also director of the Railway Technology Strategy Centre; a former board member of Transport for London and director of the RAC Foundation...
who is also Partnership Director of Tube Lines
Tube Lines
Tube Lines Limited, initially known as 'Infraco JNP', has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London since May 2010. Tube Lines is an asset-management company responsible for the maintenance, renewal and upgrade of the infrastructure, including track, trains, signals, civil work and...
and has also been a board member of Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
(TfL). The current Head of the Civil & Environmental Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, (MIT), Professor Andrew J. Whittle is also a graduate of the Department.
Moreover, there is a close link with a number of companies in the industry. Not only general engineering firms but also some more specialist companies have strong bonds with the Department. A number of high level consulting specialist companies, such as Novacem , GCG , PORTeC and GeO are "spin-outs" of the Department through collaborations of the Academics and external Enterpreneurs.
The strong bonds of the Department with the outside academic and professional world can be seen through the various close collaborations with professional bodies and association. Examples are the prestigious British Geotechnical Association's Rankine Lecture
Rankine Lecture
The Rankine Lecture is hosted in March each year by the British Geotechnical Association. It is widely viewed as the most prestigious of the invited lectures in Geotechnics.The lecture commemorates W. J. M...
which is hosted every March at Imperial College , the organisation of the Centre for Transport Studies (a collaboration between Imperial College and University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
), several seminars organised by the Institution of Structural Engineers
Institution of Structural Engineers
The Institution of Structural Engineers is a professional body for structural engineering based in the United Kingdom. It has 27,000 members in 105 countries. The Institution provides professional accreditation for structural engineers...
(such as IStructE Gold Medal awards ), and seminar orgnaised by the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
and its bodies such as the Society for Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics (SECED).