As for your comments, I’d say:

1 . Architects and Engineers do different jobs, and for projects where we work together, you could argue that the main aim of the engineer is to enable the architect. To draw a fairly apt example; only people with an interest talk about the Directors of films, or the producers/sound engineers behind albums- most ‘end-users’ only appreciate the actors and the musicians, although neither would be one without the other.

In the case of these footbridges, the client has decided they want a work of art, rather than a functional structure (for better, or for worse); and thus the artist sells the dream to the public and the engineer makes it happen.

2. Probably not; engineers in the UK are well respected and do a lot of work abroad.

Although what do I know! I’ll see if I can cajole a response out of Ian himself- no promises though.

I’m glad you like the blog and the scripts; if you let me know what the error you’re getting is with the BMD/SFD stuff I’ll take a look; and I’ve passed on the request- although I’d hate Being Brunel to become an informal LUSAS features line!

As for that drink, well- I’ve added you on LinkedIn.

Notes I would have liked to have bring up in the debate, although my terrible excuse for staying silent was that I was at the back far left!

1. Are structural engineers increasingly playing 2nd fiddle to architects especially with respect to “iconic” pedestrian bridges, and have the public who is ultimately coughing up for these proposals been any better/worse off for it?
2. Is the current lack of bridge design competitions in the UK (relative to the amount in the US,EU etc) detrimental to giving talented young structural engineering graduates a chance to creatively express their capability for design without the constraints of typical contractor/consultancy arrangements?

Overall a very good evening! Wish I had a chance to mingle a bit more, but thought this event was a lot better than the typically dry IStructE/ICE conferences that I’ve been to so far.

Curiously, I currently work at the company you used to work for and was forwarded a link to your blog by a colleague – definitely a very interesting blog up there with TheHappyPontist. You should come out for a drink with us sometime to catch up! Send me an e-mail if interested.

P.S. Thanks for the very helpful LUSAS LSP routines – the generate BMD/SFD script seems to be broken though. I really wish LUSAS would give us a feature to automatically generate windows with these all nicely set up with summary windows and the like – consider it an informal feature request : )

Pete