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Bill Harvey
Interests: Arch bridges, old buildings, walking, wildlife, renovating houses, gardening and, of course, teaching!
Recent Activity
The Role of Intuition in Engineering, or getting things wrong!
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This was prompted by a post on twitter about intuition in arts and science to which a twitter friend, Patrick Sparkes, responded “and engineering”. It made me think about my own work, how I got something wrong and am trying... Continue reading
Posted May 12, 2019 at arches
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The Role of Intuition in Engineering, or getting things wrong!
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This was prompted by a post on twitter about intuition in arts and science to which a twitter friend, Patrick Sparkes, responded “and engineering”. It made me think about my own work, how I got something wrong and am trying... Continue reading
Posted May 12, 2019 at arches
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And as soon as I post I think: One from Luxembourg, one from USA I think. one from Canada. But I still haven't thought of you all.
Toggle Commented Feb 24, 2019 on So, I have been wondering where to put this but,... at arches
So, I have been wondering where to put this but,...
So, I have been wondering where to put this but, of course, a blog is the place. A couple of weeks ago the IStructE stirred up a twitter storm by printing a letter that suggested women shouldn't be encouraged to... Continue reading
Posted Feb 24, 2019 at arches
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If this image seems crazy please right click and choose open image in a new window.
Toggle Commented Nov 1, 2018 on Is it a fair test at arches
Is it a fair test
Exercised this am by the photo below of a test in a first year Civil Engineering lab. When I did that test in 1965 Prof Evans came down for the first few minutes and pointed out why we used a... Continue reading
Posted Nov 1, 2018 at arches
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I was just listening to a podcast from January in...
I was just listening to a podcast from January in which there was much discussion of science being only the best explanation we have now. In fact, being a process rather than a pattern of knowledge. I am an engineer... Continue reading
Posted Nov 10, 2017 at arches
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Stiffness and Force Flow
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The different stiffnesses of struts and beams govern most structural behaviour. They certainly rule in the Mathematical Bridge in Cambridge but also hold sway in tests for structural understanding. Continue reading
Posted Nov 3, 2017 at arches
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A Cable stayed bridge that isn't
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At the end of South Street in Exeter, straddling a gap in the city wall is a bridge that has cables as expensive and dubious decoration. From here it looks to make some sort of sense (though the relative positions... Continue reading
Posted Sep 9, 2017 at arches
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A failed attempt at flattery
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I talk to engineering students about design issues but don't usually get so public (glass houses and all that, and anyway, what have I ever built) but I am pushed by the Happy Pontist and hos BAMPOT, see here https://happypontist.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/introducing-bridge-awards-for.html.... Continue reading
Posted Sep 9, 2017 at arches
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Some career notes for my grandaughter and others
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So, a bit about what this engineer does. Many many years ago (about 1954!) we were on holiday in Bristol. I was seven. One of my many Bristol uncles took me to see the Clifton Suspension Bridge. After that I... Continue reading
Posted Jul 4, 2017 at arches
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A thought, well a string of thoughts, in response...
A thought, well a string of thoughts, in response to Adam Rutherford about the fact that science is just our best understanding at the moment. Adam You said the email was bbcinsidescience@bbc.co.uk. I guessed that was wrong and checked the... Continue reading
Posted Jan 21, 2017 at arches
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A thought, well a string of thoughts, in response...
A thought, well a string of thoughts, in response to Adam Rutherford about the fact that science is just our best understanding at the moment. Adam You said the email was bbcinsidescience@bbc.co.uk. I guessed that was wrong and checked the... Continue reading
Posted Jan 21, 2017 at arches
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The trials and tribulations of working with...
The trials and tribulations of working with Vodafone. So, I have a small business. Vodafone offers a package, sounds good, except that lots of bits creak at the edges and different sims end up being on different accounts and "Oh... Continue reading
Posted Sep 8, 2016 at arches
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Some discussion on Twitter about gender balance in...
Some discussion on Twitter about gender balance in engineering requires a bit more space than 140chars to respond. I taught engineering for 23 years. I was a student in Leeds 65-71 (BSc PhD There were no girls (we called them... Continue reading
Posted Apr 22, 2016 at arches
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Bearing rotation in bridges
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I didn't understand the scale of this problem until I started to monitor the behaviour of the bearings on Cleddau bridge some years ago. I noticed that, as well as moving backwards and forwards as they were intended to do,... Continue reading
Posted Dec 15, 2015 at arches
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Sorry for the delay in my note on FRB bearing...
Sorry for the delay in my note on FRB bearing rotation. Hope to get to it tomorrow evening. Continue reading
Posted Dec 15, 2015 at arches
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More on Forth Road Bridge
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A note on the load test at FRB Continue reading
Posted Dec 11, 2015 at arches
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Bridge Bearings and the Forth Road Bridge
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Some personal thoughts on bearings and the Forth Road Bridge Continue reading
Posted Dec 4, 2015 at arches
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Optimise and 3D Print
These fittings appeared on Twitter this morning from https://twitter.com/CaseyRutland. The left hand one is presumably the bog standard weld and galv. The others, the result of computer optimisation and 3D printing. Pretty spectacular stuff but... Of course we have no... Continue reading
Posted May 15, 2015 at arches
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We come to remember James and record his achievements
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This picture, of a man in his element, has been provided by Malcolm Tucker. In James' own words James contributed a piece to a book on "Eminent Civil Engineers" edited by David Doran (ref to follow). He talked of his work on the Laingspan system buildings and the lessons he... Continue reading
Posted May 22, 2013 at James Sutherland
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Bill Harvey is now following The Typepad Team
Mar 15, 2010
General comments first: There was a time when...
General comments first: There was a time when engineers were appointed and just got on with it, submitting the result to the client as a fait accompli. Those days are long gone. There are “beauty contests” at every stage in a job, first to win the feasibility study then outline... Continue reading
Posted Feb 22, 2010 at Exeter Student stuff
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Second year Design
THis is a start to a review and marking scheme for a second year design project. To begin we need the pictures. Continue reading
Posted Feb 14, 2010 at Exeter Student stuff
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