ScienceGrrl Glasgow’s Professor Tracey Howe blogs on a recent talk in Glasgow given by inspirational structural engineer, Roma Agrawal.
Tonight I went to hear Roma Agrawal (@Romatheengineer), deliver an inspiring talk about engineering The Shard, London. The event was organised by our Glasgow City of Science partner, the Institute of Shipbuilders and Engineers in Scotland (IESIS) and the Women’s Engineers Society (WES) which also gave me the opportunity to meet many interesting women engineers. Hopefully more Glasgow ScienceGrrls in the making?
Roma is a very eloquent speaker and made the complex project of The Shard interesting and understandable to non experts like myself. She described the many difficulties of the site itself, from the London clay, to Victorian underground structures, the tube, proximity to major sites such as Hospitals and the legacies of WWII bombings and 1970’s constructions. The project required innovative methods of construction from the foundations to the core, the spire and the cranes. An amazing team effort built on budget and on time!
If you get chance to hear Roma speak then you should go. The Shard is an interesting and iconic structure dominating the London skyline and Roma implores you to look up and admire the steel a great feat of engineering and ingenuity. The next time I visit I will do just that with an educated eye on the detail.
Links
Roma also spoke to over 200 school pupils from around Glasgow. Find out more about her inspiring visit to Shawlands Academy – Inspiring young engineers: STEM Lecture September 2015
Professor Tracey Howe is also Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University and Deputy Chair of Glasgow City of Science. You’ll often find her tweeting as either herself @ProfTraceyHowe or alter-ego, @MSK_Elf
Would you like to blog about an event you’ve attended in the West of Scotland with a STEAMMS connection? Get in touch with us!