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Institution of Structural Engineers

 

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Institution of Structural Engineers



 
 
The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) is the world's leading professional body for structural engineering
Structural engineering

Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist structural loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
 based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
. It has 23,600 members in 105 countries.. The Institution is a learned body and provider of professional accreditation for structural engineers. The Institution publishes a monthly journal, 'The Structural Engineer'.

History
The Institution gained its Royal Charter
Royal Charter

A royal charter is a charter granted by a Monarch to create institutions or other forms of incorporated bodies . In the United Kingdom legal tradition a royal charter is in the form of letters patent....
 in March 1934.






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Encyclopedia


The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) is the world's leading professional body for structural engineering
Structural engineering

Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist structural loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
 based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
. It has 23,600 members in 105 countries.. The Institution is a learned body and provider of professional accreditation for structural engineers. The Institution publishes a monthly journal, 'The Structural Engineer'.

History


The Institution gained its Royal Charter
Royal Charter

A royal charter is a charter granted by a Monarch to create institutions or other forms of incorporated bodies . In the United Kingdom legal tradition a royal charter is in the form of letters patent....
 in March 1934. It was established at the Ritz Hotel
Ritz Hotel

The Ritz Hotel London is a 133-room hotel located in Piccadilly and overlooking Green Park in London....
, 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 material in construction industry. The first headquarters were established at No. 8, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall
Pall Mall

Pall Mall may refer to:*Pall Mall, London, a famous street in central London*Pall Mall, Bendigo the historic main street of Bendigo, Australia...
, London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
; the first President was the Right Honourable Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth
Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth

Robert George Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth, Order of the British Empire, Order of the Bath, Privy Council, was an English nobleman and politician....
, in whose honour the largest meeting room at the current headquarters at 11 Upper Belgrave Street, London, SW1X 8BH - is named. Incorporated in 1909 as a charitable company limited by guarantee, it was renamed the Institution of Structural Engineers in 1922, when its areas of interest were extended to cover 'structures' of all kinds; 'structures' being defined as 'those constructions which are subject principally to the laws of statics as opposed to those which are subject to the laws of dynamics and kinetics, such as engines and machines'.

The Institution introduced an examination to qualify for membership in 1920. By 1925 the Institution had 1,700 members, growing over the years to the 23,600 currently.

Qualifying examinations for membership were introduced in 1920. At the same time, the first regional branches were formed, Lancashire & Cheshire being the first in 1922, followed by Western Counties in 1923. In 1937 the South Africa Branch became the first to be established outside the UK. There are now 32 branches, divisions and sections across the world.

Presidents of the IStructE


Main article: List of Presidents of the Institution of Structural Engineers

Membership


Membership of the Institution comes in different levels:

  • Student Member - for students studying courses accredited by the Institution.
  • Graduate Member - for graduates of accredited courses, who have not yet taken the professional review or exam.
  • Technician Member - for structural technicians, usually without degree qualifications.
  • Associate Member - usually for engineers without accredited degree qualifications who have passed the Associate Membership examination.
  • Associate - for members domiciled outside the European Union and have at least five years experience.
  • Member - for graduates of accredited degree courses who have passed the Professional Review and Examination
  • Fellow - for members who are deemed to have sufficient experience and to have made sufficient achievements to merit fellowship of the Institution. Any member may apply for fellowship.


Only Members & Fellows of the Institution of Structural Engineers may call themselves a chartered engineer
Chartered engineer

In many countries, professional engineers are called Chartered Engineers. The details of registration vary from country to country.Chartered Engineer may refer to:...
. To become a Member it is necessary to sit and pass the professional review interview and examination. The examinations are held once per annum on the first Friday in April. The examination is a test of the candidate's professional competence, taking the form of a seven hour examination in structural engineering design and practice, and the candidate must display a grasp of structural engineering principles, an ability to initiate and communicate structural design and provide an effective solution to a structural design problem.

Governance


The Institution is headed by 'The Council', consisting of the President, four future presidents, four past presidents, elected members (with three year terms), representatives from regional branches and co-opted members.

The Council elects from its members the 'Executive Board', which is the governing body of the IStructE.

The Library


The IStructE's library contains over 35,000 entries and volumes, including textbooks, reports, journals, standards and audiovisual material.

Awards


The Institution of Structural Engineers presents a number of different awards to individuals and organisations for achievements in structural engineering.

Gold Medal


The most prestigious award the Institution presents is the Gold Medal, which is presented to those who have made exceptional and outstanding contributions to the advancement of structural engineering.

Structural Awards


Main article: Structural Awards
Structural Awards

The Institution of Structural Engineers' Structural Awards have been awarded for the structural design of buildings and infrastructure since 1968....


The Institution also makes annual awards to the structural designers of projects, in eleven categories:

  • Supreme Award for engineering excellence
  • Heritage Award for buildings
  • Heritage Award for infrastructure
  • Award for Pedestrian Bridges
  • Award for Transportation Structures
  • Award for Commercial or Retail Structures
  • Award for Education or Healthcare Structures
  • Award for Community or Residential Structures
  • Award for Sports Structures
  • Award for Arts, Entertainment or Leisure Structures
  • Award for Industrial or Process Structures
  • David Alsop Sustainability Awards
  • Award for Small Projects


See also

  • Structural Awards
    Structural Awards

    The Institution of Structural Engineers' Structural Awards have been awarded for the structural design of buildings and infrastructure since 1968....
  • Construction Industry Council
    Construction Industry Council

    The Construction Industry Council is the representative body for the professional bodies, research organizations and specialist business associations in the construction industry in the United Kingdom....
  • Engineering Council UK
    Engineering Council UK

    Engineering Council UK is United Kingdom regulatory authority for registration of professional Engineer and Engineering technician, holding a register of these and providing advice to students, Engineer, employers and academic institutions on the standards for registration and procedures for registration....
     (ECUK)
  • 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 engineers....


External links

  • – Official website