The Institution of Structural Engineers is a professional body for
structural engineering
Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to design the 'bones and muscles' that create the form and shape of man-made structures. Structural engineers also must understand and cal ...
based in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
The Institution has over 30,000 members operating in over 100 countries. The Institution provides professional accreditation for structural engineers and publishes a monthly magazine,
The Structural Engineer'.
The Institution also has a research journal titled ''Structures,'' published by
Elsevier, Inc.
The Institution is an internationally recognised source of expertise and information concerning all issues that involve structural engineering and public safety within the built environment.
The Institution uphold standards, shares knowledge, promotes structural engineering and provides a voice for the structural engineering profession.
History
The Institution gained its
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...
in March 1934. It was established at the
Ritz Hotel, London on 21 July 1908 as the Concrete Institute, as the result of a need to define standards and rules for the proper use of
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
in the construction industry.
H. Kempton Dyson
Herbert William Charles Kempton Dyson, M.I.Struct.E. (1880–1944), known professionally as H. Kempton Dyson, was an English structural engineer, civil engineer, architect, editor and author who specialised in reinforced concrete structures. He ...
was one of the founder members and the first permanent secretary.
[The role and influence of the Secretaries of the Institution of Structural Engineers 1908-1961]
by John Dougill, 2003
On 22 February 1909, the Institution was incorporated under the Companies Acts 1862-1907 as a company limited by guarantee not having a capital divided into shares. It was renamed the Institution of Structural Engineers in 1922, when its areas of interest were extended to cover 'structures' of all kinds. By 1925 the Institution had 1,700 members and has continued to grow over the years. It has fifty groups worldwide.
The first woman member to be elected as an Associate member was
Florence Mary Taylor
Florence Mary Taylor (; 29 December 1879 – 13 February 1969) was the first qualified female architect in Australia.De Vries, S. 1999. ''The Complete Book of Great Australian Women''. Harper Collins. She was also the first woman in Australia ...
in 1926. It took until 1947 for
Mary Irvine to be the first women to be elected a Chartered Member, and until 1954 when
Marjem Chatterton was the first woman elected as a Fellow.
Headquarters
The first Institution headquarters were established at No. 8, Waterloo Place,
Pall Mall,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
by the first President, the Right Honourable
Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth
Robert George Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth, (27 August 1857 – 6 March 1923), known as the 14th Baron Windsor between 1869 and 1905, was a British nobleman and Conservative politician. He was the founding President of the London Socie ...
.
The Institution's current headquarters are at 47-58 Bastwick Street, London, EC1V 3PS, United Kingdom, after a move from Belgravia. The
Duke of Gloucester officially opened the new International Headquarters on 14 May 2015.
Arms
See also
*
Construction Industry Council
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) is the representative forum for professional bodies, research organisations and specialist business associations in the United Kingdom construction industry.
History
The first proposals for a Building Indu ...
*
Engineering Council UK
The Engineering Council (formerly Engineering Council UK; colloquially known as EngC) is the UK's regulatory authority for registration of Chartered and Incorporated engineers and engineering technician, holding a register of these and providin ...
(ECUK)
*
Institution of Civil Engineers
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters are located in the UK, whi ...
*
Gold Medal of the Institution of Structural Engineers
The Gold Medal of the Institution of Structural Engineers is awarded by the Institution of Structural Engineers for exceptional and outstanding contributions to the advancement of structural engineering. It was established in 1922.
Recipients
S ...
*
Structural Awards
The Institution of Structural Engineers' Structural Awards have been awarded for the structural design of buildings and infrastructure since 1968. The awards were re-organised in 2006 to include ten categories and the Supreme Award for structural ...
References
{{Authority control
ECUK Licensed Members
1908 establishments in the United Kingdom
Organizations established in 1908