The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent
professional association
A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to advocacy, further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that professio ...
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, while the rest are located in more than 150 other countries. The ICE aims to support the civil engineering profession by offering professional qualification, promoting education, maintaining professional ethics, and liaising with industry, academia and government. Under its commercial arm, it delivers training, recruitment, publishing and contract services. As a professional body, ICE aims to support and promote professional learning (both to students and existing practitioners), managing professional ethics and safeguarding the status of engineers, and representing the interests of the profession in dealings with government, etc. It sets standards for membership of the body; works with industry and academia to progress engineering standards and advises on education and training curricula.
History
![ICE editathon - One Great George Street - 19 July 2013 08](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/ICE_editathon_-_One_Great_George_Street_-_19_July_2013_08.JPG)
The late 18th century and early 19th century saw the founding of many learned societies and professional bodies (for example, the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
and the
Law Society). Groups calling themselves civil engineers had been meeting for some years from the late 18th century, notably the
Society of Civil Engineers formed in 1771 by
John Smeaton
John Smeaton (8 June 1724 – 28 October 1792) was a British civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist. Smeaton was the fi ...
(renamed the Smeatonian Society after his death). At that time, formal engineering in Britain was limited to the military engineers of the Corps of
Royal Engineers, and in the spirit of self-help prevalent at the time and to provide a focus for the fledgling 'civilian engineers', the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded as the world's first professional engineering body.
The initiative to found the Institution was taken in 1818 by eight young engineers,
Henry Robinson Palmer
Henry Robinson Palmer (1795–1844) was a British civil engineer who designed the world's second monorail and the first elevated railway. He is also credited as the inventor of corrugated metal roofing, still one of the world's major building m ...
(23), William Maudslay (23), Thomas Maudslay (26),
James Jones (28), Charles Collinge (26), John Lethbridge,
James Ashwell
James Ashwell (1799-1881) was an engineer and director, working in the coal, iron, and railway industries. In 1836 he helped in the formation of the Blaenavon Iron and Coal Company and was appointed resident managing director.
Early life
James ...
(19) and
Joshua Field (32), who held an inaugural meeting on 2 January 1818, at the Kendal Coffee House in
Fleet Street. The institution made little headway until a key step was taken – the appointment of
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scot ...
as the first President of the body. Greatly respected within the profession and blessed with numerous contacts across the industry and in government circles, he was instrumental in drumming up membership and getting a
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 ...
for ICE in 1828. This official recognition helped establish ICE as the pre-eminent organisation for engineers of all disciplines.
Early definitions of a Civil Engineer can be found in the discussions held on 2 January 1818 and in the application for Royal Chartership. In 1818 Palmer said that:
The objects of such institution, as recited in the charter, and reported in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'', were
![Instituion of Civil Engineers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Instituion_of_Civil_Engineers.jpg)
After Telford's death in 1834, the organisation moved into premises in Great George Street in the heart of
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
in 1839, and began to publish learned papers on engineering topics. Its members, notably
William Cubitt
Sir William Cubitt FRS (bapt. 9 October 1785 – 13 October 1861) was an eminent English civil engineer and millwright. Born in Norfolk, England, he was employed in many of the great engineering undertakings of his time. He invented a type o ...
, were also prominent in the organisation of the
Great Exhibition of 1851
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took pl ...
.
For 29 years ICE provided the forum for engineers practising in all the disciplines recognised today. Mechanical engineer and tool-maker
Henry Maudslay
Henry Maudslay ( pronunciation and spelling) (22 August 1771 – 14 February 1831) was an English machine tool innovator, tool and die maker, and inventor. He is considered a founding father of machine tool technology. His inventions were ...
was an early member and
Joseph Whitworth
Sir Joseph Whitworth, 1st Baronet (21 December 1803 – 22 January 1887) was an English engineer, entrepreneur, inventor and philanthropist. In 1841, he devised the British Standard Whitworth system, which created an accepted standard for scre ...
presented one of the earliest papers – it was not until 1847 that the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 120,000 member ...
was established (with
George Stephenson
George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was a British civil engineer and mechanical engineer. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victorians
In the history of the United Kingdom and the ...
as its first President).
By the end of the 19th century, ICE had introduced examinations for professional engineering qualifications to help ensure and maintain high standards among its members – a role it continues today.
The ICE's Great George Street headquarters, designed by
James Miller, was built by
John Mowlem & Co and completed in 1911.
Membership and professional qualification
The institution is a membership organisation comprising 92,829members worldwide (as of 31 December 2020); around three-quarters are located in the United Kingdom.
[ Membership grades include:
* Student
* Graduate (GMICE)
* Associate (AMICE)
* Technician (MICE)
* Member (MICE)
* Fellow (FICE)
ICE is a licensed body of the ]Engineering Council
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 ...
and can award the Chartered Engineer
Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process thr ...
(CEng), Incorporated Engineer
An engineering technologist is a professional trained in certain aspects of development and implementation of a respective area of technology. Engineering technology education is even more applied and less theoretical than engineering education ...
(IEng) and Engineering Technician
An engineering technician is a professional trained in skills and techniques related to a specific branch of technology, with a practical understanding of the relevant engineering concepts. Engineering technicians often assist engineers and engi ...
(EngTech) professional qualifications. Members who are Chartered Engineers can use the protected title Chartered Civil Engineer.
ICE is also licensed by the Society for the Environment to award the Chartered Environmentalist Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) is a professional qualification in the United Kingdom that is awarded by the Society for the Environment through its 24 Licensed member organisations (listed below).
Chartered Environmentalists come from no single ...
(CEnv) professional qualification.
Publishing
The Institution of Civil Engineers also publishes technical studies covering research and best practice in civil engineering. Under its commercial arm, Thomas Telford Ltd, it delivers training, recruitment, publishing and contract services, such as the NEC Engineering and Construction Contract
The New Engineering Contract (NEC), or NEC Engineering and Construction Contract, is a formalised system created by the UK Institution of Civil Engineers that guides the drafting of documents on civil engineering, construction and maintenance proj ...
. All the profits of Thomas Telford Ltd go back to the Institution to further its stated aim of putting civil engineers at the heart of society. The publishing division has existed since 1836 and is today called ICE Publishing. ICE Publishing produces roughly 30 books a year, including the ICE Manuals series, and 30 civil engineering journals, including the ICE Proceedings in eighteen parts, ''Géotechnique'', and the ''Magazine of Concrete Research''. The ICE Science series is now also published by ICE Publishing. ICE Science currently consists of five journals: ''Nanomaterials and Energy'', ''Emerging Materials Research'', ''Bioinspired, Biomimetic and Nanobiomaterials'', ''Green Materials'' and ''Surface Innovations''.
ICE members, except for students, also receive the ''New Civil Engineer
''New Civil Engineer'' is the monthly magazine for members of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the UK chartered body that oversees the practice of civil engineering in the UK. First published in May 1972, it is today published by Metropoli ...
'' magazine (published weekly from 1995 to 2017 by Emap, now published monthly by Metropolis International
Metropolis International Group Limited, established in 1994, is a predominantly UK-based media and technology group specialising in business, consumer, and travel media including awards, events, websites, business software, and reward and benefi ...
).
Specialist Knowledge Societies
The ICE also administers 15 Specialist Knowledge Societies created at different times to support special interest groups within the civil engineering industry, some of which are British sections of international and/or European bodies. The societies provide continuing professional development and assist in the transfer of knowledge concerning specialist areas of engineering.
The Specialist Knowledge Societies are:
Governance
The institution is governed by the ICE Trustee Board, comprising the President, three Vice Presidents, four members elected from the membership, three ICE Council members, and one nominated member. The President is the public face of the institution and day-to-day management is the responsibility of the Director General.
President
The ICE President is elected annually and the holder for 2022–2023 is Keith Howells.
Each year a number of young engineers have been chosen as President's apprentices. The scheme was started in 2005 during the Presidency of Gordon Masterton, who also initiated a President's blog, now the ICE Infrastructure blog. Each incoming President sets out the main theme of his or her year of office in a Presidential Address.
Many of the profession's greatest engineers have served as President of the ICE including:
One of Britain's greatest engineers, Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "on ...
died before he could take up the post (he was vice-president from 1850).
Female civil engineers
The first woman member of ICE was Dorothy Donaldson Buchanan
]
Dorothy Donaldson Buchanan, married name Fleming (8 October 1899 in Dumfriesshire – 13 June 1985 in Somerset) was a Scottish civil engineer, and the first female member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, successfully passing the instituti ...
in 1927. The first female Fellows elected were Mary Fergusson, Molly Fergusson (1957), Marie Lindley (1972), Helen Stone (1991) and Joanna Kennedy
Dr Joanna Kennedy OBE FREng FICE, (born 22 July 1950), is a British civil engineer and project manager. She is currently a non-executive director of the property company Native Land and a director of the ERA Foundation, having been Global Lead ...
(1992).
The two female Presidents (to date) are Jean Venables, who became the 144th holder of the office in 2008, and Rachel Skinner, who became President in November 2020.
In January 1969 the Council of the Institution set up a working party to consider the role of women in engineering. Among its conclusions were that 'while women have certainly established their competence throughout the professional engineering field, there is clearly a built-in or unconscious prejudice against them'. The WISE Campaign
The WISE Campaign (Women into Science and Engineering) encourages women and girls to value and pursue science, technology, engineering and maths-related courses in school or college and move on into related careers and progress. Its mission statem ...
(Women into Science and Engineering) was launched in 1984; by 1992 3% of the total ICE membership of 79,000 was female, and only 0.8% of chartered civil engineers were women. By 2016 women comprised nearly 12% of total membership, almost 7% of chartered civil engineers and just over 2% of Fellows. In June 2015 a Presidential Commission on diversity was announced.
Awards
The Institution makes various awards to recognise the work of its members. In addition to awards for technical papers, reports and competition entries it awards medals for different achievements.
*Gold Medal – The Gold Medal is awarded to an individual who has made valuable contributions to civil engineering over many years. This may cover contributions in one or more areas, such as, design, research, development, investigation, construction, management (including project management), education and training.
*Garth Watson Medal – The Garth Watson Medal is awarded for dedicated and valuable service to ICE by an ICE Member or member of staff.
*Brunel Medal – The Brunel Medal is awarded to teams, individuals or organisations operating within the built environment and recognises excellence in civil engineering.
*Edmund Hambly Medal – The Edmund Hambly Medal awarded for creative design in an engineering project that makes a substantial contribution to sustainable development. It is awarded to projects, of any scale, which take into account such factors as full life-cycle effects, including de-commissioning, and show an understanding of the implications of infrastructure impact upon the environment. The medal is awarded in honour of past president Edmund Hambly who was a proponent of sustainable engineering
Sustainable engineering is the process of designing or operating systems such that they use energy and resources sustainably, in other words, at a rate that does not compromise the natural environment, or the ability of future generations to meet ...
.
*International Medal – The International Medal is awarded annually to a civil engineer who has made an outstanding contribution to civil engineering outside 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 ...
or an engineer who resides outside 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 ...
.
*Warren Medal – The Warren Medal is awarded annually to an ICE member in recognition of valuable services to his or her region.
*Telford Medal – Telford Medal
The Telford Medal is a prize awarded by the British Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) for a paper or series of papers. It was introduced in 1835 following a bequest made by Thomas Telford, the ICE's first president. It can be awarded in gold ...
is the highest prize that can be awarded by the ICE for a paper.
*James Alfred Ewing Medal – The James Alfred Ewing Medal is awarded by the council on the joint nomination of the president and the President of the Royal Society
The president of the Royal Society (PRS) is the elected Head of the Royal Society of London who presides over meetings of the society's council.
After informal meetings at Gresham College, the Royal Society was officially founded on 28 November ...
.
*James Forrest Medal – The James Forrest Medal was established in honour of James Forrest upon his retirement as secretary in 1896.
*Jean Venables Medal – Since 2011, the Institution has awarded a Jean Venables Medal to its best Technician Professional Review candidate.
*President's Medal
*Emerging Engineer Award
*James Rennie Medal – For the best Chartered Professional Review candidate of the year. Named after James Rennie, a civil engineer noted for his devotion to the training of new engineers.
*Renée Redfern Hunt Memorial Prize – For the best chartered or member professional review written exercise of the year. Named for an ICE staff member who served as examinations officer from 1945 to 1981.
*Tony Chapman Medal – For the best member professional review candidate of the year. Named after an ICE council member who played a key role in the integration of the Board of Incorporated Engineers and Technicians into the institution and in promoting incorporated engineer status.
*Chris Binnie Award for Sustainable Water Management
*The Bev Waugh Award – Since 2021, for productivity and culture, recognises a leader or individual who has had a positive impact on joint team working
*Adrian Long Medal
Student chapters
The ICE has student chapters in several countries including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Malta, Pakistan, Poland, Sudan, Trinidad, and United Arab Emirates.
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 ...
References
* Charles Matthew Norrie (1956). ''Bridging the Years – a short history of British Civil Engineering''. Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd.
* Garth Watson (1988). ''The Civils – The story of the Institution of Civil Engineers''. Thomas Telford Ltd
* Hugh Ferguson and Mike Chrimes (2011). ''The Civil Engineers – The story of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the People Who Made It''. Thomas Telford Ltd
External links
*
Royal Charter and other documentation for governance of ICE
ICE Royal Charter of June 1975, By-laws and Regulations, as at 16 May 2014
ICE Publishing website
ICE Science website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Institution of Civil Engineers
Civil engineering professional associations
ECUK Licensed Members
Organisations based in the City of Westminster
Organizations established in 1818
1818 establishments in the United Kingdom