PRESENTATION: Tristram Carfrae’s Gold Medal Address “Designing with computers”

Presentation

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xzxQycUrLMw%3F

When – Thursday 30 July 2015 //

It is relatively common to hear the senior members of our profession exhort our more junior members to “stop using computer models”, particularly early in the design process. However, a computer analysis programme is really just a superior calculator (slide rule or log table). Why shouldn’t they be used by engineers to get a fast appreciation of the structural behaviour of their idea? What is it about making a quick sketch and a hand calculation that makes it so more informative than a computer model, which is replete with stresses, deflected shapes, loads, reactions and many other informative results?

Surely what we really want is the wise use of computer models, even early in the design process. A virtual exploration of the design space; many models of different complexity, cross checking for fundamental structural behaviour; sensitivity studies against various input parameters; to name a few of the different strategies available.

I think that our senior members should try and learn the capabilities of modern computing so that they can teach their colleagues how to get the most out.

The Gold Medal Award

The Institution’s most prestigious award, the Gold Medal is awarded to an individual for exceptional and outstanding contributions to the advancement of structural engineering.

The award was first initiated and presented in 1922 to Professor Henry Adams (who had been President of the Institution from 1914 to 1916). Many eminent structural engineers from around the world have been presented with the Gold Medal.

About Tristram

Personal Awards
2014: Gold Medal of the Institution of Structural Engineers
2009: Named a ‘Hero of the Green Age’, CoP15 publication
2009: MacRobert Award, the Royal Academy of Engineering
2008: Hero of Innovation, Warren Centre
2006: Royal Designer for Industry, RSA
2006: Milne Medal, IABSE
2001: Professional Engineer of the Year, Engineers Australia

Tristram Carfrae is a leading structural designer. He has been responsible for the structure of a dazzling array of award
winning buildings over his 30 years with the firm, both in Australia and the UK. His particular skills relate to the
integration of engineering and architecture to provide the best holistic solution. Tristram has been fortunate to work with
many of the world’s leading architects on projects where the structure forms a major aesthetic component. In 1999/2000
he was the Design Leader of Arup Associates in London, a firm of 120 architects and engineers.

He has an unswerving commitment to designing better buildings that consume less resource: materials, energy, time
and money; yet give more pleasure. He has helped design six structures that have won Special Awards from the
Institute of Structural Engineers – the world’s premier structural accolade.

Tristram is Arup’s Deputy Chairman. He is one of 16 Arup Fellows (out of a global staff of 10,000). This accolade
honours those who have significantly contributed to the firm’s reputation for excellence in innovation and design and
designates him as a leader with the role of ensuring this continues.

In 2001 he was named as Australian Professional Engineer of the Year and was recognised in 2004, 2005 and 2006 as
one of Australia’s top 100 most influential engineers by Engineers Australia. In 2006 The Royal Society for the
encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) awarded him the title of Royal Designer for Industry in
recognition of his achievements in engineering design and he was also awarded the Milne Medal by the British Group of
the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), which recognises Tristram’s work as a
designer and for his continuing contribution to design excellence. In 2008 Tristram received the Hero of Innovation
Award from the Warren Centre. In 2009 he received the MacRobert Award, the highest engineering recognition
available for a project, and was also named as one of twenty ‘Heroes of the Green Age’ in a publication printed for the
Copenhagen 15 Summit. Only this year, he was awarded the prestigious Gold Medal award by the Institution of
Structural Engineers (IStructE). The Award recognises Tristram's exceptional contribution to the science and structural
engineering professions.