Experience Archives - Being Brunel
An Explanation
May 12, 2016
So I know what you’re thinking: it’s been seven hours and ten damn months since you left without saying anything. Where were you when the budget was decided? When they put the M6 Toll up for sale? When the Force … Read More
Terry Pratchett
March 16, 2015 5
I doubt it’ll come as a surprise to anyone (what with the title of the post an’ all), but I’m a fairly massive Terry Pratchett fan- in fact, for those of you who have been paying attention these last few years, there’s…Read More
Engineering On Stack Exchange
March 2, 2015 2
It’s here! We finally have an Engineering Stack Exchange! It feels a bit like I’ve been talking about this forever- so it is fantastic to see a community finally form and begin to create something. But now we’ve got it, we…Read More
Building A Wind Farm
December 26, 2014
The beauty of a completed wind farm, with its streamlined turbines standing tall and proud, often belies the challenges and delicate balancing act involved in ensuring the design and construction runs…Read More
Big, Medium Or Small Companies?
November 5, 2014 2
Interesting fact: I’ve worked for small, medium and large engineering companies. The question of what size company is the best for civil engineers to work for is something that I see get….Read More
Engineering Stack Exchange
September 11, 2014 7
Around two years ago I wrote a post rhapsodising on the benefits of Stack Exchange, about how it was the best thing in the world and about how Civil Engineers should totally have a presence there. It finished…Read More
Contracting Is Boring
December 16, 2013 2
I’ve been finding it hard to ignore a certain pattern that persists between the years: The consultant always wins (especially if he works for Arup). However whilst the male/female divide over the last ten years of victors has been…Read More
Infamous Engineering Structures
October 7, 2013 8
It seems apt this week, therefore, to discuss some engineering structures that live in infamy; noteworthy in their failure rather than their success. Ronan Point (1968) Younger engineers may not…Read More
Clients and Civil Engineers
July 22, 2013 3
There’s a lot to be learnt from a terrible experience, especially if you can see yourself reflected (no matter how palely) in it. Taking my Bridge in for Repairs. I’ve had my bridge for 20 years now, no problems. Well, that’s…Read More
5 Books on Every Engineer’s Desk
June 24, 2013 12
Engineers like books. Having your own private desk-library is a given for any consultant; usually stocked with tomes artificially thickened with the detritus of cryptic post-it notes, and folded-in print-outs. Despite their…Read More
