ISSUE NINETEEN AUTUMN 2013

In this issue... 8 ASSOCIATION NEWS & REVIEWS FACULTY NEWS 3 Presidents report 6 A Global Village 4 CGCA news 7 Manufacturing Futures Lab 4–5 CGCA 100th Dinner 7 IET Social Fund supports student-run charity 5 City & Guilds Building 8 Researcher names fossil after Johnny Depp 6 RSMA News 8 Imperial team complete zero emission race 6 New RSMA President 8 Energy Futures Lab students rock Blue Peter 8 Computing 2nd in rankings

ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS FEATURES 22 Colleen Richardson, The Face Behind the Name 9 New Kid on the Block 23 Diary / Medal for Roderick Rhys Jones 10–11 Big Data and Privacy 24 The “Lively Year” gathers! / Hong Kong thrives 12–13 El Hierro 24 Ice-Bat racing: new sport? 14–15 The Engineering Brand 25 BBOXX: Best UK Enterprise 16–18 Copper and the next generation of mines 25–27 Obituaries 19–21 Virtual Palaeontology

Cover: The newest addition to the London skyline, the Shard, dominates the view from the Thames. the foundations and spire of this stunning building were designed by alumna Roma Agrawal, author of the feature article ‘The Engineering Brand’. See pages 12 16 19 14-15 Photo: olavs/shutterstock.com Imperial ENGINEER EDITORIAL BOARD CORRESPONDENCE and ENQUIRIES Peter Buck (Editor) Teresa Sergot Paul Holmes Engineering Chapter Chris Lumb Level 2, Faculty Building Bill McAuley (Emeritus Editor) Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ Colleen Shilstone Richardson Tel: +44 (0) 20 7594 1184 Teresa Sergot Email: [email protected]

PRODUCTION AND DESIGN Website: www.imperial.ac.uk/engineering/alumni/ Alison Buck CGCA website: www.cgca.org.uk RSMA website: www.rsm-association.org PRINTING Bishops Printers, Portsmouth

STORY IDEAS FOR THE NEXT ISSUE BY FEBRUARY 3 2014 FINAL COPY DEADLINE: MARCH 17 2014

!e editorial board of Imperial ENGINEER reserves the right to edit copy for style and length. Imperial ENGINEER is printed on Forest Stewardship Council registered paper.

2 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 !ose readers who were fortunate to be present at the One Hundredth Dinner of the CGCA, held back in May of this year at the City of London’s Mansion House, will have heard the Dean of the Engineering Faculty, Professor Jeff Magee, announce that the College building known generally as the ‘Mech Eng’ building was to be named the ‘!e City and Guilds Building’ in recognition of the role played by City and Guilds in the creation and establishment of Imperial College and to cement the existing and future relationship between the two organisations. A special event to formally mark the naming was held on Wednesday 18th September. !e large assembly of guests, that included many representatives from CGCA, heard both the Rector of Imperial, Sir Keith O’Nions and the Chairman of City and Guilds Institute, Sir John Armitt, speak warmly about the importance to both bodies of their historical ties and their future partnership. !e event took place in front of the 16 shields of those City Livery companies who were instrumental in the founding of Imperial; the Masters of several of those companies were, of course, present at our Dinner. For this year’s Annual Dinner we have decided to revert to our more modest arrangements – a One Hundredth event does, by definition, only come along every so often – so we will gather in the Cutler’s Hall on the evening of Friday 14th May 2014. We will, however, retain two features from the One Hundredth: we have selected a Friday in order to give those wishing to attend who reside outside London more flexibility David in making their arrangements and we will close the guest list a few weeks in advance of the event so as to make the preparation of the seating plan, drawing up the personalised menus etc. more manageable. So, the combination of a smaller capacity hall and tighter control on reservations all points to one thing: those of Nethercot you wishing to attend need to act promptly and decisively. With the new Academic year about to start, the full programme of CGCA gets going. Because this has been steadily expanding we are forming a programme subcommittee to ensure that we arrange events in the best manner throughout the year. We are also anxious to mesh with appropriate student events as CGCA continues its endeavours to increase its engagement with the student body as part of its aim to make membership of CGCA a natural accompaniment to graduation. With this in mind we will be changing the make-up of our General Committee so as to align it more closely with the Imperial Engineering Departments. As the temperature in London drops and the nights draw in CGCA will continue to provide a link between memories of life at Imperial and some of the College’s current developments. PRESIDENTS REPORT It was an honour to be asked to undertake the office of President and I look forward to the next two years and the opportunity to closely interface with the Institution where I enjoyed four happy years, albeit half a century ago, and to continue to ensure that the RSMA gives the students the support and mentoring that they deserve, as well as maintaining and fostering the links between members of the Association. Whilst the RSM has undergone enormous changes in the last few years in line with major changes in both the global mining and petroleum industries but more particularly within Imperial College, a key objective of the RSMA remains as embodied in the 100 year old constitution i.e. “to foster an enduring link between members of the Association and with the staff and students of the RSM thereby providing comradeship and a source of mutual help and advice”. In this vein, a careers day is planned with the students, faculty members and RSM alumni and will take place in November, dependent on the college calendar. It will also be an opportunity to discuss with the students the importance that the RSM may play in their lives and the significant part that the RSM has played in the history of mining and associated industries. !e significance of De la Beche and Bessemer and the busts of Beit and Werner, guarding the RSM entrance, are probably not at the forefront of John students’ current interests but their significance in history is unique. Hopefully by the time the IE is issued, all RSM alumni on the college database will have received a letter promoting our current membership drive. If the RSMA is to survive as a credible body then we need the O’Reilly financial support of alumni. !e RSMA relies on this generous support so I would ask all to give careful consideration to the appeal as outlined in the letter. With increasing costs, the necessity for increased funding is an inevitable consequence. We will be utilising social media (Linkedin, Facebook) to better interface with alumni and to hopefully resurrect old friendships whilst at the same time promoting better awareness of the RSMA. At the last AGM in June the committee approved two additional offices, Membership Secretary and Vice-President, International. Coen Louwarts, a past-president, was elected to the former role and John Sykes, a former Vice-President, now based in Perth, Western Australia, to the latter. !e Membership Secretary role will improve the communications with RSMA members and provide a focal point for any membership issues that require addressing, and for ideas, complaints etc. that need to be brought to the committee’s attention. John, in his new role, will greatly enhance the ability for interaction between and with overseas alumni and his social media skills will be invaluable!! I would like to thank Mark for his work over the last two years which he has superbly managed despite a gruelling work schedule and a new baby boy, and the rest of the committee for their efforts. Most also have full time occupations, often involving extensive travel, which makes their commitment even more appreciated. As ever, a special thank you to Teresa for her unstinting efforts and support. !e RSMA website (www.rsm-association.org) has recently been given a face lift, and many thanks to Elly Jay for her great efforts in undertaking the bulk of the task, which will also enhance the communication with members. !e annual final year student Bar-B-Q was held in June, following the AGM, and Eddie Gadd helped calm the nerves of those awaiting their exam results with his donation of a keg of Ramsgate brewery’s finest ale. It was good to see in attendance at the AGM a couple of my contemporaries from the 60’s in Tom Pugsley, visiting from Toronto, and Jeff Bennett, slightly more local. !e annual dinner this year will be held on 29 November at the Rembrandt Hotel, 11 !urloe Place Knightsbridge (opposite the V&A and a short walk from South Kensington underground station). !e Polish Club which we have enjoyed for many years is presently undergoing a major refurbishment. A booking form can be found on the back of the magazine’s address carrier, and the sponsorship of students will, as ever, be very much appreciated. !e student executives for this year are Emily Pennington, President, and Jack Judd, Honorary Secretary, and the committee looks forward to working with them. If any alumni have ideas or comments to improve the service that the RSMA provides, they will be most welcome.

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 3 NEWS & REVIEWS City and Guilds College Association Keeping in Contact 100th Dinner As an Alumnus of Imperial College see the ‘register’ option. Just follow The 100th Dinner was held at The Kam you have an entry in the College the instructions and you’ll have an Mansion House on Friday, 17th May Alumnus System. The Association online account set up! 2013 with over 250 members and Gordon uses the entries for our members When you have an online account, guests in attendance, including The

on this same system to track go to the same site, again take the Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Lam memberships, subs payments and Alumni tab but this time take the Roger Gifford. From the welcome to stay in contact with you. The ‘login’ option. Once logged in you reception and organ recital when mailing list for IE is an extract from will see the new search CGCA entering the banqueting hall, through this system. WTIGM½G WIEVGL STXMSR XS[EVHW EGSYVWIQIEP[MXL½RI[MRIWERH If you haven’t already, you can the bottom of the screen. Also set of lively and inspiring speeches, register for online access to the on the screen that comes up after the splendid venue gave a superb Alumnus System. This enables you login there is a ‘manage my account’ evening to all! to maintain your own information option and this allows you to keep A key point was the announcement and to search for colleagues and your address and other details by Professor Magee, Dean, Faculty Wang friends. Indeed a new facility has current. Note that when updating of Engineering, that the City &

been added solely for the use of your details virtually every entry Guilds name will return to the Xiaojie Association members so you can LEWE³1EOI4VMZEXI´¾EKMRXLIVMKLX South Kensington campus with the search for other members using hand column. If you select this the Mechanical Engineering building criteria like name, department, year information to the left will not be being renamed as the City and at college and current location. Of available to other CGCA members Guilds Building. The announcement course the search is only as good as in the members search facility. For was greeted with loud applause the information that members supply, example if you mark your country in from the diners, particularly from hence the importance of keeping your postal address as private then the several representatives of the your information up to date. your record will not be returned founding Livery Companies present. Kam To register go to http://imperial. to other members when they The speeches by Sir John ac.uk, select the Alumni tab on the search for people in that country, so Parker, President, Royal Academy Gordon options across the top of the screen GSRWMHIVXLIWI¾EKWGEVIJYPP] of Engineering and Professor Sir

and to the right of the screen you’ll Michael Sterling, Chairman, Science Lam and Technology Facilities Council CGCA Web Presence which ranged broadly across the CGCA web presence continues to online review process for the Trust issues facing engineers today, both support our communications with &SEVHXSIJ½GMIRXP]PSSOEXERHZSXI challenged and entertained those members. on the applications, enabling us to present. The CGCA Website at http://cgca. respond more quickly to requests. Bo was on hand outside as diners org.uk provides information about The LinkedIn group continues arrived, bolt and spanner joined the Association, the events we have to attract new members. (Note the dinner and CGCU President, Kam planned and allows non-members to the CGCA LinkedIn Group is open Temi Ladega led the Boomalaka, submit a membership application on to anyone who is or could be a reminding all present of student days Gordon line. Over 25 new members have member of the Association.) We at College. joined us this way so far. The site have 925 Group members as of 17th From the top: Lam also has a special area designed to September. All Group members can Professor Magee and Sir John TVSZMHI MRJSVQEXMSR WTIGM½GEPP] JSV create and join into discussions. Go Parker arrived in Bo. current students. This area allows to http://linkedin.com and create a students to take up the offer of LinkedIn account if you do not have Spanner and Bolt bearers led free membership while they are at one, then once you have an account the procession. College. The Old Centralians’ Trust search the Groups List for ‘City & David Nethercot and his wife has also added an online form for +YMPHW 'SPPIKI%WWSGMEXMSR´ XS ½RH welcomed the guests including students to apply for a grant from us and join in. immediate past president Chris the Trust. The facility includes a full Hankin, Chairman of the OC Imperial ENGINEER to become online only Trust Board Chris Lumb, and Wang our very own Colleen Shilstone The cost of sending Imperial If this affects you then it is Richardson.

ENGINEER by mail has been rising important that we have your correct Xiaojie steadily. At recent CGCA committee email address. Please review your meetings it has been resolved that contact details on the Imperial CGCA members who pay annually, College alumni database (go to CGCA AGM but less than the correct amount of http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/alumni). The CGCA Annual General Meeting representatives for year ranges, e.g. £15, will receive some or all editions If you’d prefer always to receive was held on 4th June 2013 at Imperial 2002-6 to representatives aligned of Imperial ENGINEER via email a printed Imperial ENGINEER then College and was attended by over to Faculty departments. This was instead of in the post. Those paying please note the following. If you 30 members. Professor Anthony presented to and unanimously £10 or more will get a printed have an annual standing order of £15 Bull, head of Imperial’s Department agreed by the Meeting. This change copy of the Spring edition but their then you need do nothing. If you of Bioengineering, was the guest RS[ RIIHW XS FI VI¾IGXIH MR XLI Autumn one via email. Those paying pay less than that, then please adjust speaker and gave the audience a vivid Constitution and the Meeting also less than £10 will get both editions your Standing Order to be £15. If presentation on research helping agreed that the General Committee via email only. you are a Life Member, please email people to survive blast events, as should be the body to draft and It has also been decided that Life [email protected] (preferably well as the need for professional review those changes, coming back to members who wish still to receive quoting your eight digit membership recognition of Bioengineering. the 2014 AGM with a recommended Imperial ENGINEER in the post number, on the A4 sheet which came The key item in the AGM revised wording. must ‘opt in’ to do so. Otherwise with this edition) and let us know itself was the proposed change After the AGM most attendees it will be assumed that they are you wish to continue to receive the to the Association’s constitution. adjourned to the Queen’s Tower happy to receive all editions of the magazine in the post. The General Committee had Rooms for the President’s Evening magazine via email. recommended a shift from having to enjoy a very sociable hot supper!

4 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 NEWS & REVIEWS CITY & GUILDS BUILDING Conner

Kam Kam

Sean

Gordon Gordon

Lam Lam Mansion House was a splendid CGCA President Photographs: venue for the 100th Dinner David Nethercot On Wednesday September 18, 2013, He said: “City & Guilds and Imperial marked the launch of a Imperial are two organisations that major redevelopment programme will play for what we all knew as the Mech. important Eng. building, due to be completed in parts in the 2017. It has been renamed the City future of the & Guilds Building in recognition of UK, and they the historic connections with City are bound & Guilds. The current building was together built in the early 60s on the site of by a shared the former City & Guilds College past. City & building of 1885. The City & Guilds Guilds is the Kam Kam College was founded in 1884 by the leading name

City of London Livery Companies. in technological and vocational Gordon Gordon In 1907 it merged with the Royal UYEPM½GEXMSRW [LMPI -QTIVMEP PIEHW

School of Mines and the Royal the world in engineering. Lam Lam The Lord Mayor of London, Sir John Parker College of Science to form Imperial “I am delighted to see that Alderman Roger Gifford College London. Imperial’s engineers still call their Sir Keith O’Nions, Imperial’s student body the City & Guilds President & Rector, and Sir John Union, and that Imperial’s City Armitt, Chairman of the City & & Guilds College Association is Guilds of thriving with more than 4,000 alumni London members. The naming of this building Institute, cements our historic connections.” both spoke The refurbishment of the building at the naming will provide new study and breakout ceremony. spaces for students, improve all Sir Keith learning areas, upgrade the research said: “We environment, refresh administrative are proud of facilities and update the core our historic infrastructure. Specialist facilities Kam connections will include two new wind tunnels Wang with City & Guilds, which pre-date capable of producing 100mph wind Gordon the founding of Imperial College. speeds for use in research and Lam Xiaojie Professor Sir Michael Sterling Professor Jeff Magee It is wholly appropriate that we teaching. acknowledge this legacy. The Royal The City & Guilds Building’s School of Mines and Royal College Exhibition Road façade will be of Science already have permanent completely modernised, showcasing homes in South Kensington. We are E ¾MKLX WMQYPEXSV EPSRKWMHI SXLIV completing the historic picture with elements of the College’s work to the City & Guilds Building. passers-by. “The work that takes place here, within the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, epitomises what makes Imperial great. The engineers, students, technicians and support staff working here are world-class;

Kam they deserve world-class facilities.”

Sir John spoke about the work Wang

Gordon of the City & Guilds of London

Institute as a pioneering provider Lam Xiaojie CGCU President Temi Ladega The Lord Mayor complimented of vocational education that still Sir John Armitt speaking CGCA on its wine cellar! maintains deep links with Imperial. afterwards with Morton Neal

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 5 NEWS & REVIEWS Royal School of Mines Association A Global Village You may notice at the end of the RSMA AGM New RSMA President Big Data and Privacy feature, a note On 27th June the RSMA held an Extraordinary General Meeting to introduce We asked John O’Reilly, the new that a previous version appeared two new positions into the committee structure, followed by the Annual RSMA President to introduce in A Global Village, but you may +IRIVEP 1IIXMRK EX [LMGL XLI SJ½GIVW JSV XLI RI[ EGEHIQMG ]IEV [IVI himself. not be aware what that is. It is elected. Those elected were: Imperial College’s publication on John O’Reilly MSc, DIC, BSc(Eng), International Affairs. There is huge 3J½GIVW ARSM, FIMMM interest and appetite around the Age 68. College for international issues ¯ QSVI WTIGM½GEPP] XLI MRXIVJEGI President: John O’Reilly (Metal 66, 67) between science and technology, Senior Vice-President: Eleanor Jay (Materials 08, 12) policy, politics and implementation. Junior Vice-President: Tim Cotton (Min Res 93) It should equally appeal to alumni. Past-President: Mark Burridge (Geology 90) The publication offers original Hon. Secretary: Paul Holmes (Min Res 94) insights to both the Imperial College Hon. Treasurer: Daniel Hill (Earth Sci 09) community, and external industry VP International: John Sykes (Earth Sci 06) experts and policy-makers, and Membership Secretary: Coen Louwarts (Earth Res 96) tackles a broad range of issues from energy and environment to agriculture and development, Committee Members IGSRSQMGWERH½RERGIKPSFEPLIEPXL Attended RSM from 1963 to 1967. and geopolitics. Through emphasis of Members: Lorraine Craig Graduated in Metallurgy in 1966 the wider context in which science John Monhemius (Metal 75) and then completed the Mineral takes place, A Global Village provides Rees Rawlings (Metal 64, 67) Process Design MSc course in a platform for scientists to engage Liv Carroll (Earth Sci 01) 1967. Vice-President of the RSM in with current global challenges. It David Bishop (Metallurgy 70) 1966-67. Captained the RSM rugby attracts article contributors of Emily Pennington (President RSMU) club in 1964-65 and captain of IC the highest calibre from advanced Jack Judd (Hon. Sec. RSMU) rugby in 1966-67 (“got an MSc undergraduates to established Luc Vandeperre (EDU 08) whilst playing rugby and other non- academics and external experts. The Matt Cockayne (Geology 99, 01) academic pursuits”). Played in four developing reputation has spread to Hannah Bungey (Earth Sci 12) consecutive winning Bottle Matches, other universities both in the UK Overseas: which was rare in that era. and abroad. Canada: Giles Baynham (Min Res 95) On leaving college took the well The print journal is published Australia: Leah Glass (Earth Sci 06) trodden route to the Copperbelt three times a year – in January, May in Zambia to join numerous RSM and October – with an annual print contemporaries, working there for circulation of 10,000 copies. It is RSMA Trust Board six years, aside from an 18 month distributed freely on the Imperial secondment to Iranian Selection College campuses and at select Chairman: Prof. Rees Rawlings (Metal 64, 67) Trust at Sar Cheshmeh. Got married external events, as well as online. In Members: John O’Reilly (Metal 66, 67) whist in Zambia. Moved from parallel with the publication of the Fiona Cassidy (Metal 78) Zambia to Selibe-Pikwe in Botswana journal, A Global Village promotes Coen Louwarts (Earth Res 96) where stayed for four years and two dialogue on science policy and global David Bishop (Metal 70) children born in the Selibe-Pikwe issues through hosting a series of “clinic”. From Africa, in 1977 it was IZIRXW ERH EXXVEGXMRK LMKLTVS½PI Trustees: Prof. John Monhemius (Metal 75) back to Sar Cheshmeh in Iran until speakers to Imperial College. Daniel Hill (Earth Science 09) the Ayatollah dished out the red The vision for A Global Village is Paul Holmes (Min Res 94) cards. Witnessed the revolution in to provide a platform for scientists Emily Pennington (President RSMU) Tehran from the inside. After Iran, a to communicate the relevance and Hon. Secretary: Glynne Lloyd Davies short hop across the Gulf to Oman applicability of their work to the to run Oman Mining until 1987. greatest global challenges currently Returned to the UK in 1987 facing mankind, and to enable them to join RTZ (Rio Tinto) Technical to directly impact implementation Services in Bristol. In 1993 and policy decisions. In the long despatched by Rio Tinto to Papua term it is hoped that A Global Village New Guinea, responsible for the will make a meaningful contribution construction, commissioning and to dialogue and debate for science- We will soon have some limited opportunities initial operation of the giant Lihir related policy issues, questions to advertise in Imperial ENGINEER. Gold Mine in which Rio Tinto was in which Imperial College plays a the major shareholder. Following the prominent role, and inspire a new success of Lihir, returned to London generation of global innovators. Our readers include many of the best in 1998 as Head of Gold & Other engineers in the world. Minerals for Rio Tinto and in 1999 You can read A Global Village online at switched hats to Head of Technology http://aglobalvillage.org/ for the group. Sat on the Rio Tinto board committee for Social and If your business wants to reach this audience Environment Accountability. of professional engineers, please contact the President of MIRO, UK (Minerals Short URLs at the end of news Industry Research Organisation) items enable you to read the full editorial team for details and a rate card. from 2003 to 2006. story online. All the news links Retired from Rio Tinto in 2005 in this issue can also be found in and now spends his days between our IE19 bundle at: travelling, his grandchildren and the http://bit.ly/IE19links golf course.

6 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 NEWS DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE ENGINEERING FACULTY Manufacturing Futures Lab IET Social Fund supports student-run charity Launched in June, the Manufacturing of Chemical Engineering. Futures Lab (MFL) is bringing together “The challenge now lies in the experts from around Imperial UK’s ability to industrialise on a who are working on developing large scale. It’s true that industries technologies and processes that will can’t go back to the old days of make manufacturing in the UK more making cost intensive, low value IJ½GMIRXGSWXIJJIGXMZIERHYPXMQEXIP] machinery such as ships. What we QSVITVS½XEFPI%PSRK[MXLMRHYWXV] need to be developing are innovative and the Government, researchers at processes to improve industries or the Centre are also aiming to turn creating the next Samsung or Apple research ideas into new businesses. corporations – hi-tech industries Academics at the MFL are that will generate long-term wealth focussing on a range of projects and employment for the country. including ways of making stronger, “We believe that the more durable parts for cars and Manufacturing Futures Lab will aircraft using less material and provide an important focus, helping Simon Maddison and Davy Thielens, present the IET cheque to energy. to nurture and grow the next e.quinox chairman Rushabh Mehta Professor Jianguo Lin, from generation of businesses to help the Department of Mechanical the country make a transition to a In the Autumn 2012 edition of solutions to rural power in Africa. Engineering, and his team combine rebalanced, stronger economy.” Imperial ENGINEER (IE17) we The credibility of the scheme has two processes in one, where For the past 40 years the UK has featured the work of BBOXX, a FIGSQIWYGLXLEXMXMWRS[SJ½GMEPP] aluminium alloy is heated and stamped been focussing on growing business company started by three of the advising some governments as to into a shape to make a part. Heating WYGL EW ½RERGI ERH MRWYVERGI%R founders of the e.quinox charity power policy. The solutions are the alloy makes it more malleable, over reliance on these service EX -QTIVMEP XS XEOI XLI RSRTVS½X highly practical, genuinely sustainable which means that it can be formed industries has made the UK economy concept of e.quinox to the next and develop the skills of the local into shapes that are much stronger. vulnerable to external shocks level. community. We particularly liked the The MFL is supporting Professor Lin WYGL EW XLI  ½RERGMEP e.quinox is a student-run social way that a workable business model in his efforts to commercialise the crisis. The UK government is now enterprise that works to bring has been considered from the outset, technology, which will be licensed to working towards rebalancing the sustainable and scalable clean energy and that it is ‘open source’, which manufacturers. economy, with a greater emphasis solutions to developing countries. It they encourage to be freely adopted Other research programmes on developing hi-tech industries was founded in 2008 by Engineering by others around the world”. underway at the MFL include that can compete with economies Students from Imperial and has Davy Thielens, current Chair creating ways of mass producing in the developed world. Imperial grown to provide electricity to an of the London Network added microscopic ‘factories’ made from is working with the Government estimated 4,000 people in East Africa, “Through this donation, not only bacteria and DNA, to produce and industry and harnessing its running 5 energy kiosks and one do we want to support the amazing new drugs and fuels; exploring the considerable research expertise standalone solution. The organisation work of these talented young structure of the wonder material in advanced manufacturing to help is completely open-source and aims people, but we believe that together graphene, to harness its unique meet this challenge. to develop ‘blue-print solutions’ that with the IET we can promote their qualities; and developing new ways “The UK cannot compete with local entrepreneurs or external activities around the world through to manufacture electronics as well developing economies that can entities can replicate themselves, the Institution’s global membership as creating more sustainable types produce products at low cost which allows e.quinox’s ideas to and Industrial partners. We are also of feedstock. because of lower wages and living have an even larger impact on the very keen to use their initiative to “Manufacturing currently only standards. The MFL aims to promote energy landscape in the developing inspire other students and young accounts for nine per cent of the manufacturing technologies where world. The organisation is founded professionals as a model of what UK economy, which is dismal by XLI 9/ LEW E GPIEV WGMIRXM½G on innovation and the e.quinox youthful talent and enthusiasm can world standards. The average size of advantage. Ultimately, this will see the team continues to develop new rural achieve. We see this as the start of a a manufacturing business is around production of high-value products IPIGXVM½GEXMSR WSPYXMSRW GSPPIGXMRK fruitful long term relationship.” 14 employees, which demonstrates that are developed by a skilled, well data from each project and making Rushabh Mehta, chairman of that we have become better at paid workforce. Researchers at the it available for anyone willing to e.quinox said: “This donation will be craft industries such as making MFL are already working on a range replicate e.quinox’s ideas. key in enabling the implementation bicycles than developing the hi- of projects that should lead to jobs Earlier this year, the IET’s London of the latest innovations engineered tech industries that make products and prosperity for the UK,” added Network decided to make a by e.quinox in its push towards like iPhones,” said Professor Nilay Professor Jeff Magee, Dean of the WMKRM½GERX HSREXMSR SJ † JVSQ IPIGXVM½GEXMSR SJ VYVEP %JVMGE 8LI Shah, Director of the Manufacturing Faculty of Engineering. its Social Fund to e.quinox. The funds will be used to launch the 2nd Futures Lab, from the Department former IEE London Branch’s Social generation of the standalone system, Fund had been dormant for some EJYPP]EYXSQEXIHVYVEPIPIGXVM½GEXMSR time, and it was decided to donate solution with the largest distribution to a worthy cause consistent with radius from solutions provided by the Institution’s aims of promoting e.quinox. This will provide basic the engineering profession and power and lighting to over 350 developing students and young more people in Northern Rwanda engineering professionals. while providing a platform to serve “We looked at various possibilities, many more in the future. All the data and after careful deliberation decided collected from this venture remains on e.quinox. We were particularly open source allowing other parties impressed for several reasons;” to launch similar projects more says Simon Maddison (Elec Eng 70, expertly, and with maximum impact. Computing 73), past chairman of the The donation allows e.quinox to London Network, responsible for expand the range of solutions that it the fund. “This is an entirely student provides and help more people light RSFIEWXWS½IVGIWLYXXIVWXSGOGSQ initiated and run activity. They have up their homes.” Research includes exploring the structure of graphene been proactively bringing original www.e.quinox.org

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 7 NEWS DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE ENGINEERING FACULTY Researcher names fossil after Johnny Depp Imperial team complete zero emission race The 505 million year old fossil called shallow seas, similar to modern Kooteninchela deppi (pronounced coastal environments, but the sea Koo-ten-ee-che-la depp-eye), which temperature would have been much is a distant ancestor of lobsters hotter than it is today. and scorpions, was named after the David believes that Kooteninchela actor Johnny Depp for his starring deppi would have been a hunter role as Edward Scissorhands – a or scavenger. Its large Edward QSZMI EFSYX ER EVXM½GMEP QER [LS Scissorhands-like claws with their has scissors for hands. elongated spines may have been Kooteninchela deppi is helping used to capture prey, or they could researchers to piece together Photography

information about life on Earth during the Cambrian period when López nearly all modern animal types emerged. Victor

A team of third and fourth year The challenge for the team was undergraduates from the Department ½XXMRKIRSYKLFEXXIVMIWMRXSXLIFMOI of Mechanical Engineering came so that it had the power to make seventh in the Isle of Man TT Zero it around the track, while keeping race this summer. The race covers under the weight limit and enabling a 37 mile circuit considered to be it to be handled effectively by the one of the most gruelling races for rider. Too many batteries can make London

electric motorbikes. the bike very wide at the bottom, Legg For the past four years, instead of being the conventional College,

David consecutive Imperial teams have V-shape which is better for handling LEZILIPTIHMXXSTVSFIXLIWIE¾SSV tried to take part in the race but on corners. Imperial looking for sea creatures hiding in with limited success. Tw o years The team overcame this problem David Legg, who carried out sediment. ago the bike did not complete a by reducing the spacing between the the research as part of his PhD in Kooteninchela deppi was lap; last year, upgrades to the bike batteries to make the pack smaller. the Department of Earth Science approximately four centimetres long weren’t ready in time to take part. They also moved the battery pack ERH )RKMRIIVMRKWEMH±;LIR - ½VWX with an elongated trunk for a body This year it was looking like bad higher up to avoid it scraping along saw the pair of isolated claws in and millipede-like legs, which it used luck had struck again when their the road during sharp turns. the fossil records of this species I XS WGYXXPI EPSRK XLI WIE ¾SSV [MXL rider Antonio Maeso broke his leg Imperial was one of only four could not help but think of Edward the occasional short swim. It also two days before the race, but they university teams to compete Scissorhands. I am also a bit of a had large eyes composed of many soon had offers from many other and the only team who uses this Depp fan and so what better way to lenses, like the compound eyes of a riders. Luke Foreman, fourth year project to contribute towards their honour the man than to immortalise ¾]8LI][IVITSWMXMSRIHSRXSTSJ undergraduate from the Department undergraduate degree in mechanical him as an ancient creature that once movable stalks called peduncles to of Mechanical Engineering, said engineering. The project is helping roamed the sea?” help it more easily search for food “Antonio recommended David successive groups of students in Kooteninchela deppi lived in very and look out for predators. Madsen-Mygdal, who is a TT legend, the Department of Mechanical has experience riding electric bikes, Engineering to learn more about Energy Futures Lab students rock Blue Peter and holds the record for the amount building low emission vehicles for In our last issue we reported on live on the world’s longest running SJ88 ½RMWLIW [LMGL QEHI LMQ E the future. the Racing Green Endurance team’s children’s show, Blue Peter, and on great choice.” As soon as the group returned to SRZero electric car. Another team the BBC Breakfast programme, they More than 80,000 visitors lined Imperial they had to write reports, in the Racing Green project has demonstrated how their sustainable the course to watch teams from make presentations and discuss been developing a zero-emission generator could replace the noisy around the world compete. “The their work, which is graded, making hydrogen fuel cell powered generator and environmentally unfriendly most nerve-wracking part of the up a large proportion of their marks SZIV XLI PEWX ½ZI ]IEVW%W [IPP EW diesel generators typically found at race was when the bike was out for the year. contributing to the electric vehicle music festivals. racing,” said Luke. “For the rider I Encouraged by their success, the project, it enables the students to Held at Media City in Salford, think the whole course is pretty team are discussing plans for the raise public awareness about the the BBC’s Energy Day showcased extreme with lots of hills and a future. They collected data to use environmentally friendly technology sustainable energy technologies to TEVXMGYPEVP] HMJ½GYPX³LEMVTMR´ GSVRIV in developing the bike and they are they are developing. the public. Billy Wu says: “The BBC is which presented a real design hoping to secure some funding to a great platform for public outreach GLEPPIRKI;LIRXLIFMOI½RMWLIHXLI buy new motors and components and I think we generated a lot of race we were all ecstatic! We had a to improve the bike’s performance. awareness of hydrogen fuel cell lot of mechanical problems during “Now we know what we are doing technology.” practice, but everything worked and what level we need to compete One of the highlights of the day perfectly during the race. We were EX XLIVI MW HI½RMXIP] WGSTI JSV London for the team was appearing on in a state of disbelief when we saw Imperial to do much better in future Blue Peter, the iconic children’s XLIFMOIVIEGLMRKXLI½RMWLMRKPMRI² years,” Luke added. College, television show. Michael Parkes nd was interviewed by hosts Barney Computing 2 in UK rankings

Imperial Harwood and Lindsey Russell and The Department of Computing has The rankings are based on a range One such opportunity was got to play some tunes on his guitar. traditionally done very well in the of criteria, including entry standards, afforded recently, when PhD “It was great being interviewed on annual rankings of UK universities, student satisfaction, staff/student students Billy Wu, Michael Parkes a show that many of us grew up and this year is no exception. The ratio, academic services and facilities and Sam Cooper took their watching,” said Michael. Complete University Guide and expenditure per student, research generator along to the BBC’s Energy You can hear more about the Times/Sunday Times both rank us quality, proportion of Firsts and Day. By playing their electric guitar, project in the Imperial Podcast at: 2nd (behind Cambridge), while The 2:1s, completion rates and student powered by the prototype generator, http://bit.ly/IE19EFL Guardian ranks us 3rd. destinations.

8 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 FEATURES Anthony MJ Bull (Mech. Eng. 95), Head of the Department of Bioengineering New Kid on the Block !e societal drivers for major bioengineering has ‘arrived’. activities at the interface of !e Department established engineering, medicine and the UK Bioengineering biology are known to us all. Society in 2008. !is learned !ese include rising fertility, society has a few hundred rising life expectancy and members and is now working thus huge increases in total with appropriate engineering population size. Within institutions to accredit this growth are the hidden undergraduate bioengineering factors of an increase in the degrees. We also play a leading proportion, and absolute role in the Royal of Academy number, of older people. of Engineering’s only special When combined with an interest group – reflecting the obesity epidemic in the developed world, from this biological system that has developed importance of the discipline – the RAEng and a substantial increase in musculoskeletal an efficient engineering solution. Engineers, Biomedical Engineering Panel. !ere are problems due to inappropriate physical therefore, can find ways in which the structures approximately 5000 chartered engineers in activity in some subsets of the population, and functions of living organisms can be used as the UK who would call themselves biomedical there arise some significant medical issues. models for the design and engineering of materials engineers, bioengineers or medical engineers !e major medical challenges facing society and machines. !is definition of Biomimetics and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks currently, and that are projected to increase or Biologically Inspired Design is the third main biomedical engineering as the most valuable exponentially, are chronic conditions (for pillar of the discipline of Bioengineering. degree, with the discipline projected to grow example, diabetes), dementia (most commonly !is new discipline of Bioengineering, which the fastest of any profession over the next five Alzheimer’s), and musculoskeletal pain (for incorporates these three main areas, is thriving years. !e medical devices sector in the UK example, due to osteoarthritis). It is, therefore, at Imperial College and has a strong pedigree currently has a turnover of approximately clear that we need to engineer devices, constructs going back fifty years. In the 1960s three £15billion and employs approximately 70,000 and interventions for human health. !is is my research groupings formed: the Engineering in people, mostly in SMEs. Research league definition of Biomedical Engineering. Medicine Laboratory in Electrical Engineering tables rank the UK as third in the discipline We are also living in an age of tremendous (1963), the Biomechanics Laboratory in (source: SC Imago Country Rank), and the change in the life sciences: the human genome Mechanical Engineering (1966), and the department at Imperial as top in the UK and has been sequenced, new experimental Physiological Flow Studies Unit based in fourth in the world (source: http://bit.ly/ techniques are coming online with great Aeronautics (1966). Two of these merged IE19BioRank). regularity, and engineers are getting involved. in 1989 to form the Centre for Biological It is in the context of this fantastic position !e opportunities in the life sciences, when and Medical Systems that in 1999 was given combined with engineering and design Departmental status. In 2001 the Department technologies, are huge. For example, the was renamed the Department of Bioengineering

precision control of biological matter at the London – the newest Department at Imperial. As befits very small scale is likely to change the way a Department at Imperial, we are taking a College, we produce very many things, such as fuels, national leadership role in the discipline of materials and drugs. !e new field of synthetic bioengineering in both research and teaching Imperial biology allows us now to conceive of a day and now have thriving MSc, MRes and PhD when we will design living organisms for programmes at the postgraduate level and specific tasks in a scaleable manner. Engineers, have the largest UK Biomedical Engineering

therefore are engaging in solving problems undergraduate programme. Photographs: related to the life sciences and/or the application As the discipline is still embryonic in the thereof. !is is a definition of Biological UK, there are some significant challenges that the Department at Imperial is now Engineering. facing bioengineers. !e first is quite simply embarking on a new phase in its lifecycle Once engineers start getting to grips with a lack of recognition. Some may argue that by consolidating its research excellence and biology, physiology, and anatomy, then new bioengineering is not yet a profession, yet if providing growth and leadership in new areas ideas arise. For example, Dr Rodriguez y one looks at the some of the key features of such as Cancer Engineering, Neurotechnology, Baena from Mechanical Engineering has a profession – education and training activity, and Synthetic Biology. !is will inevitably taken inspiration from a wood wasp to accreditation of degrees, regulation and involve some growing pains as the limitations develop a surgical drill that does not use protection of professional titles, strong industry of space and being ahead of the curve in terms rotary motion or impaction. He has found a and research base, recognised history, and of national funding priorities will have to be new technical solution for human application presence in league tables – then it is clear that addressed. We are confident of tackling these issues successfully not only from an Imperial Anthony Bull is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial. perspective, but also for the discipline as After completing his sponsorship duties with Ford Motor Company, a whole. !erefore, from its embryonic he returned for a PhD in Biomechanics, and then after a series of beginnings fifty years ago, the Department postdoctoral positions, moved to the Centre for Biological and can foresee a strong and healthy future in Medical Systems in 2000. This Centre became the Department of which staff and students are addressing some Bioengineering and Anthony was appointed Head of Department in of the major issues facing society. We all look 2012. forward to the next fifty years.

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 9 FEATURES Chris Hankin and Andrew Burton (Institute for Security Science and Technology) Big Data and Privacy It is claimed that 90% of the data in which it can be put. the world today has been created in But those concerned with civil the last two years. ! is explosion in liberties question the role of secret data off ers new opportunities but also intelligence in an open society. As presents tremendous challenges. ! e Brill (played by Gabriel Byrne) in the opportunities include the generation Hollywood fi lm Enemy of the State of new services to enhance quality of (1998) says: How do we draw the line life. ! e challenges arise from the – draw the line between protection varying sources of data, uncertainty of national security, obviously the about their provenance and fi nding government’s need to obtain intelligence ways of extracting information/ data, and the protection of civil liberties, knowledge from the data and ... visualising it in ways that are fi t for ! is is a question which is worthy purpose. Overlaid onto these issues of some debate. With the data is that of personal choice and privacy. explosion, and our increasing abilities Do you want them knowing all there to automatically mine and make sense is to know about you? Or maybe you of it, it is not only governments but don’t care? ! e reactions on all sides also big corporations and even other generated by the Edward Snowden individuals who want to derive value PRISM revelations show that there is Imperial College, London from using our data (assuming, of still a great need for debate over the course, that we can regard it as ours), security/privacy balance. VA is the use of interactive visualisations most often for commercial advantage Of course data is one thing, but information to support the human analytic reasoning but with the threat of a surveillance society and thence knowledge and understanding process, with tools that facilitate dynamic hanging over us. ! e challenge is to balance are quite another. ! roughout history, and query, analysis, hypothesis formulation and the protection of the state with the protection latterly through scientifi c disciplines, mankind testing, collation and marshalling of evidence of civil liberties. has sought to make sense of its surroundings. for sense-making (colloquially referred to as ! e quote from Brill continues: ... In recent times these physical surroundings ‘joining the dots’). VA also requires strong particularly the sanctity of my home? You’ve got have moved into the virtual or cyber world, algorithms for ‘smart’ information retrieval, no right to come into my home! presenting massively enlarged data spaces extraction, and concept searching, and new Yet the European Electricity and Gas beyond what could be captured, processed data structures to support data handling, Directives mandate the deployment of smart and recorded in previous times. ! e cyber provenance, ad-hoc querying and methods for meters in every domestic setting by 2022. world now contains all sorts of data and virtual handling missing data and uncertainty. VA Each of those will publish half-hourly read- manifestations of physical reality, as well as provides the framework for combining data, outs of energy consumption to the energy some unique to cyber space. visualisation and human sense-making aspects provider but will be capable of much greater UK government interest in the data to create integrated workspaces for analysts. data gathering. A newly published report by explosion can be traced back to the late Within the ISST, we concentrate on the data the House of Commons Energy and Climate 1990s when the anticipated arrival of the analytics components of VA. We are dealing Change Committee supports the ambitions Large Hadron Collider provided one of the with data that is incomplete, sometimes for UK roll-out, but cautions that “consumers motivations for the Research Councils’ e- unreliable and internally inconsistent; it is must actively and positively engage with Science programme. In the security context a mix of data that includes structured and them.” the myriad of data that supported the post- unstructured text, still and video images, One of the earliest attempts to gather and 9/11 terrorist investigations led the newly audio feeds and computer media. We have operate on big data was the US program for formed US Department of Homeland Security developed new algorithms for abstracting the Total Information Awareness (TIA, which (DHS) to sponsor the emergence of the new data and analysing relationships in the data. might be viewed as an attempt to realise the discipline of Visual Analytics. For example, one abstraction is based on fi ctional capability depicted in Enemy of the Visual Analytics (VA) is the science of clustering and leads to algorithms for detecting State.) ! e TIA program set out, in similar making sense of large data sets, that through sub-communities. It is then possible to study fashion to VA, a requirement to better detect the use of interactive visualisation and how these evolve and try to identify which terrorist operations and to inform US agencies’ query through semantic extraction and data external triggers cause individuals to migrate responses. ! e vision was for an ‘architecture’ fusion technologies, supports the analytic between communities. capable of integrating many other program reasoning process. Activity in the US has been In the national security context, VA could outputs which crucially attempted to predict orchestrated through the National Visualization be used legitimately by authorities, under events (incorporating social sciences) rather and Analytics Center (NVAC, based at Pacifi c warrant, to tap into private communications than simply respond post event. Despite Northwest National Laboratory) which has and databases as part of intelligence-gathering the acronym being redefi ned as Terrorist engaged universities through DHS-funded for countering crime and terrorism. But access Information Awareness, due to much adverse academic Centres of Excellence at Purdue and needs to be tightly controlled. In the UK this publicity (particularly the issue of intrusion Rutgers Universities. Since 2009 this activity has been written into law through RIPA – the and the compilation of dossiers on hundreds has included an international collaborative Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, of millions of American citizens), the program eff ort with a UK consortium (UKVAC), of which sets out the law regarding intercept and was terminated in 2003. TIA elements are, which Imperial’s Institute for Security Science surveillance, and the limitations on what can though, to be found in R&D programs funded & Technology (ISST) is a founding partner. be gathered by the authorities and the use to through DHS, the Department of Defense

10 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 FEATURES

Community Detection

! e use of sense-making tools for the investigation of large datasets is under investigation by researchers in the Institute for Security Science & Technology. Community detection is the term given to uncovering the structure of networks in organised crime and terrorism investigations. ! e example illustrated takes its data from Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. A partitioning algorithm based on the technique of stability optimisation results in the detection of fi ve communities amongst the 77 characters in the novel. ! e fi rst is a central community (yellow) containing most of the main plot characters such as Valjean, Javert, Cosette, Marius or the ! enardier. ! e second community (green) relates to the story of Fantine, the third (red) to Mgr Myriel, the fourth (blue) to Valjean’s story as a prisoner which contains other convicts. ! e fi fth (purple) relates to Gavroche, another main character. ! is example shows a main community at the centre that seems to connect all the story while satellite communities represent sub-stories. If this were a network of people under surveillance it would reveal a main community of central actors which could be observed over time. and others. Visual Analytics could be regarded raising quite naturally the questions of privacy example, any photograph of them held on as a direct descendent. and trust. a social networking site. ! e sanctions for ! e modern face of TIA is Reality Mining, Much has been said, recently, about the non-compliance could be astronomical with an increasingly referenced emerging technology growing awareness of individual privacy, millions of Euros in fi nes being levied. ! is defi ned as the collection of machine-sensed with more informed choices now possible on off ers a severe challenge for data handling environmental data pertaining to human settings in social media interaction. But, how organisations, whether in government or social behaviour. ! is goes beyond the digital much of your personal data are you actually in the private sector, and especially as such footprint idea (i.e. the collection of information leaving behind as you navigate cyber space? data is hosted more and more within a cloud left behind as one navigates cyberspace through A 2010 survey by internet security company service environment. However, the European on-line activity such as social networking, AVG found that 35% of new-borns had an Parliament has postponed ratifi cation of the email, e-commerce, etc.) and into a much fi ner online presence (email, social media, photos, amendment several times, with a new date grained data space, a digital dust comprised of etc.), with 23% having a prenatal presence set for October this year to enable amended almost every instance of a person captured by through their parents’ uploading foetal scans legislation to be published in early 2014. electronic means (e.g. adding CCTV, on-line to the web. Here is a conundrum. To benefi t from the photo archives, etc.). ! e key ingredient in So what can an individual do if they wish promise of extensive machine intelligence, a Reality Mining, as it seeks to predict human to be ‘forgotten’? ! e European Commission brave new world of pervasive data is upon us. behaviour, is to factor in the new discipline of in January 2012 tabled an amendment to ! e mathematics requires more and more data Social Signal Processing to enable automatic Directive 95/46/EC on the protection of to make the predictions more accurate and recognition and interpretation of our non- individuals with regard to the processing of informative. If we genuinely wish to live in verbal behaviour as a basis for the creation of personal data and on the free movement of a carefree world, in a safe, secure and resilient a socially sensitive machine. But, at its heart, such data. ! is is urgently required, as existing society with automated convenience goods Reality Mining, despite its benign promise in legislation has not kept pace with technological and services, it will only come about through areas such as predicting the spread of disease change, particularly where personally mining private data ... and in huge quantities. based on networks of infection, relies on the identifi able information is concerned. Are we ready for this level of openness with collection of enormous amounts of deeply Included in the proposed amendment would our machines? personal information (e.g. employing always- be the ability of a person to have their A previous version of this article appeared in on smart phone cameras and accelerometers), personal information deleted including, for A Global Village (http://bit.ly/IE19BigData).

CHRIS HANKIN (left) joined Imperial as a Lecturer in Computing in 1984. He has been Dean of City and Guilds College (2000-2003) and is the Immediate Past President of CGCA. Since January 2010 he has been Director of the Institute for Security Science & Technology.

ANDREW BURTON (right) joined Imperial in 2008 as Programme Manager in the newly formed Institute for Security Science & Technology. He worked previously in various S&T Policy roles in the UK Ministry of Defence, and prior to that as a radar systems engineer in the defence industry.

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 11 FEATURES Professor Wyss Yim (Geology 74) El Hierro Climatic impacts of the October 2011 to March 2012 El Hierro submarine volcanic eruption

Volcanic eruptions are a natural cause of fissure on November 7, 2011. On November climate change. However, the study of their 25, 2011 the eruption was ongoing with climatic impacts has been restricted to sub- vigorous explosive bubbles emerging. On data aerial volcanic eruptions, while the role November 27, 2011 the Spanish coastguard ALI of submarine volcanic eruptions has been vessel Salvamar Adhara collected pumice EO-1

neglected. !is account highlights the October clasts, colloquially nicknamed ‘floating lava

2011 to March 2012 submarine eruption of using bombs’ or ‘lava balloons’, some of many that

the El Hierro volcano located in the Canary had been ejected by the underwater eruption

Archipelago, off the northwest African coast, image and floated to the surface of the sea before

Simmon, in switching on hot seawater in the Atlantic sinking again. Robert

Ocean to act as the trigger for weather-related In early December, swath bathymetry and

events or patterns which have occurred within Observatory mapping revealed the depth of the submarine

the North Atlantic Basin the same year. volcano to be 60 m below sea level. On Allen

Earth !e North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a December 21, 2011 the eruption appeared Jesse

NASA climatic phenomenon in the North Atlantic by to be subsiding but activity increased again in Ocean caused by changes in atmospheric NASA image of the El Hierro submarine early January 2012 with a wider area of the sea pressure at sea level between the Icelandic eruption acquired on January 4, 2012 producing steaming pumice clasts and ‘jacuzzis’ low and the Azores high. Two extreme phases study of one submarine volcanic eruption. activity. During one stage, the seawater was exist, positive NAO and negative NAO, when !e submarine eruption of the El Hierro measured to be heated up by 18.8 degrees the pressure contrast between the two regions volcano, south of El Hierro Island, the Celsius above normal and the pH reached a increases and decreases respectively. !is smallest and farthest south and west of the minimum value of 2.8. By late February 2012 exerts control on the strength and direction Canary Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, a decrease in seismicity, deformation and gas of westerly winds and storm tracks across 460 km west of the coast of Morocco, release was noted. In early March 2012, the the North Atlantic, but is variable without has been documented by Wikipedia El Hierro authority declared the eruption to any periodicity. !e Atlantic Multi-decadal (http://bit.ly/IE19El_Hierro). On October be over. Oscillation on the other hand is a mode of 10, 2011, the shallow underwater eruption In mid-April 2012, webcams revealed the natural variability in sea surface temperatures occurred 2 km south of the fishing village top of the cone was at 86 m below sea level. As of the North Atlantic Ocean with a period of La Restinga. On that day, patches of pale- of June 2012, passive degassing continued at between 60 to 80 years. Because sub-aerial coloured and sulphurous smelling seawater the main Restinga underwater vent. !e total volcanic eruptions and submarine volcanic with dead fish were reported. Eruption volume of lava released by the vents during the eruptions are responsible for temperature, ‘jacuzzis’, occasionally reaching 10-15 m high submarine eruption was estimated to be 329 pressure and humidity changes, they may above the sea surface, were seen during the million m3 excluding blobs carried away by be important as triggers for weather-related most energetic eruptive episodes. A confirmed currents or trundled into deeper water. events or patterns within the North Atlantic Surtseyan type of eruption phase started with !e ‘sudden’ switching on of hot seawater Basin. !is account is a look-back-and-learn several plumes aligned along a north to south in the southeastern part of the North Atlantic team

Science

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NASA with NASA image of Hurricane Sandy acquired on October 28, 2012

12 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 FEATURES Date Aff ected region Notable weather-related events or pattern April-July England and Wales Wettest summer in England and Wales in 100 years with annual rainfall of 1331 mm (115% above average) and severe fl ooding May-August Central North America Drought estimated damage US$30 billion; most severe since 1895 Summer Arctic Ocean Record low sea ice Summer Northern/central Europe Abnormally wet summer with moisture able to penetrate the continental interiors June-November US east coast Extremely active hurricane season, tied with 1887, 1995, 2010 and 2011 for having the third-most named storms on record but few made landfall July Virginia Hottest on record July Greenland Period of extended surface melting across almost the entire ice sheet July-October Western/central Africa Abnormally wet with fl ood conditions October US east coast Hurricane Sandy estimated damage US$65 billion; 147 fatalities October North Atlantic Tropical storm Nadine tied record for the longest lasting Atlantic storm November England Wettest week in last 50 years with severe fl ooding Winter US east coast Abnormally cool and wet due to the active polar airstream Winter British Isles Abnormally cold due to the active polar airstream Summary table of notable weather-related events or patterns in the North Atlantic Basin during 2012 after the switching on of hot seawater in the Atlantic Ocean by the El Hierro submarine volcanic eruption. Based mainly on National Climatic Data Center, the 1IXISVSPSKMGEP3J½GIERHXLI&VS[RMRK2I[WPIXXIV

Ocean has three main climatic impacts. First, in western/central Africa. In October 2012, underestimated the role played by submarine the hot and low density seawater immediately Hurricane Sandy, one of the few hurricanes volcanic eruptions as a trigger of weather- beneath the surface speeded up the tropical making landfall during the year due to the related events or patterns within the North Atlantic currents, rushing the tropical waters ‘Greenland block’, resulted in an estimated Atlantic Basin. Unlike the conclusions drawn northwards. Second, the hot seawater warmed damage of US$65 billion with 147 fatalities. by a number of workers, it is unnecessary the atmosphere above causing a fall in air In this look-back-and-learn analysis of to attribute such weather-related events or pressure to generate depressions. ! ird, the the submarine eruption of the El Hierro patterns to anthropogenic global warming. polar jet stream was drawn further south volcano it is concluded that we have grossly than normal in the North Atlantic Ocean. Consequently both the ‘normal’ oceanic circulation and atmospheric circulation were drastically altered. ! e combination eff ect is an extremely negative NAO including the development of a ‘Greenland block’. Notable weather events or patterns during 2012 in the North Atlantic Basin are summarised in the Table above. Because the El Hierro submarine eruption was initiated during mid-autumn 2011 in the northern hemisphere when seawater was already cooling (and seawater is a poor conductor of heat), it took a while for the hot water to have an impact. Hot seawater means lower pressure over the ocean with an increase in the rate of evaporation and the total number of depressions. ! is was responsible for an abnormally busy hurricane season in the North Atlantic and a long succession of frontal activity storms bringing heavy rainfall to the northern/central Europe during 2012. ! e ¾SEXMRKWLIITSVK summer in England and Wales was the wettest 2SZIQFIVX[IIXWSR¾SSHMRKMRXLI9RMXIH/MRKHSQ in 100 years, while the wettest week in the last 50 years in England, with severe fl ooding, occurred in November. ! e hot Atlantic Ocean also accounted for the record low sea ice in the Professor Wyss Yim DSc PhD DIC FGS was at Imperial College in Arctic Ocean as well as a period of extended the Department of Geology from 1971-1974. After that he spent surface melting across almost the entire 35 years until retirement at the University of Hong Kong where he Greenland ice sheet in July 2012 reported in taught civil engineering, geosciences and environmental management the journal Nature. Away from the Atlantic students, and, helped found the Department of Earth Sciences. He Ocean, prolonged high pressure conditions was awarded the DSc by the University of London in 1997. Wyss led to the severe summer drought over central served as the Deputy Chairman and a member of the Climate Change North America while prolonged low pressure Science Implementation Team of UNESCO’s International Year of conditions led to abnormally wet conditions Planet Earth 2007-2009.

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 13 FEATURES Roma Agrawal (Civil 05), Associate Structural Engineer !e Engineering Brand

What is an engineer? we need to produce up to 50% more students in STEM careers to help grow the economy. At a recent party, I was introduced to some We live in a diverse society and therefore our people who asked me what I did for a living. profession should reflect this. We design homes A perfectly reasonable question for a new and transport for people, if our profession acquaintance, but one which has always caused doesn’t reflect society, is it really possible for us me to think twice about how best to describe to provide the best solutions to the problems what I do. we are trying to solve? When I describe myself as an ‘engineer’, the usual reaction is one of confusion and surprise, A manifesto for change I can see them thinking, “you don’t look like an engineer, where is your site gear? Why are In order to create a fresh and attractive your hands not soaked in oil and mud?”, and brand or identity for engineers, effective then I have to launch into a long explanation communication by the industry and media is of what my job entails. key. Here are five of my ideas on how this can be achieved: Putting a ‘brand’ to engineering Communicating that engineering is !is got me thinking about how people creative WSP perceive careers and the contributions those It is vital to engage with young students to

jobs make to society. We all know what a Evans, show them why science and maths is creative, doctor or a lawyer does. We have an image, rewarding and fun. We must speak to teachers, perhaps perpetuated by the media, TV shows Nicola careers advisors and parents, because parents and movies, of what it means for surgical have a big influence on their children’s career procedures to save a life, or battles in court to was only by pure chance that I ended up in choices. In a recent survey by WSP educating seek justice. engineering. My current company WSP does a teachers and careers advisors and adapting !e engineer has no such positive ‘identity’ round of graduate fairs every year and engages the curriculum was ranked as the best way to in the popular consciousness. Perception varies widely with universities and schools and as a achieve this (49 per cent of respondents). We somewhere between a builder, a mechanic and result about 30% of our new graduate intake need to show all of them that engineering is a washing machine repair man (not woman!). was female. But despite this young people a prestigious career to aspire to. I believe our !is lack of a clear identity deters people today will still choose careers in the city, arts engineering institutions and companies need from being interested in what engineers do or law simply because they did not know what more visibility to students, to show them what and acts as a barrier for bright young people they could have achieved as an engineer. Fresh we do, how rewarding it is and dispel common from different backgrounds seeking the many talent is the basis of the future of our industry myths to encourage all students to at least opportunities and challenges that engineering so it is vital that we engage with the young consider technical careers. provides as a career. generation. We need to create a new brand for ourselves !ere are some severe imbalances in the Supporting students which is independent of stereotypes; one which diversity of our industry; at present, the Once we’ve caught their attention, let us focuses on the creativity, problem solving, industry comprises 8% women and 6% offer work placements and internships so that team working aspects and the contribution black, minority ethnic (BME) engineers. students can see first-hand the working life of that we make to our society. !is is a massive Having a diverse team ensures that you engineers. What better way to experience how task, but there are many thing we as engineers get different ideas, varied perspectives and engineers work in teams and brainstorming can do to start this transformation. therefore productive discussion leading to the ideas and solving problems? We should mentor most innovative ideas. A team can comprise them and ensure that this support continues Why does it matter? the technically most competent engineers in throughout their careers. WSP has a schools the country, but if all of them are trained to engagement programme called Launchpad I remember, when I was looking for summer think in a similar way, I don’t believe we can and just last month I was part of a week-long placements and later for a graduate job, we had serve our clients well. We need people who induction across all of our different businesses a plethora of investment banks, management think differently working together to create for around 35 students. consultancies, accountancy and law firms innovation and ideas. I have seen this in play Where role models for minorities are scarce, approach us during the milk-round. !ey at WSP, where we have more women than the it is even more important that this support is organised panel discussions, presentations and norm with around 1 in 5 of our technical staff maintained. An example is when women take question and answer sessions to clarify to us being female. maternity leave and come back to work, it can what they did, why they enjoyed it and the !e Royal Academy of Engineering produced be a challenging time for them, and mentoring benefits we could gain from that profession a report which warns that “the current pool of can ensure that the path back is smoother and – it left me with the impression that these were science, technology and engineering experts enable them to navigate their way to leadership my only career options. are already stretched thin and ageing rapidly”. positions. So where were the scientists? !e engineers? It reports this shocking statistic: the median Conspicuous by their absence, the STEM age of chartered engineers rises by 10 years for An open mind about educational professions are losing the brightest qualified every 14 that pass. backgrounds students to other professions, in fact, it We have a major skill shortage in the UK, Keeping an open mind about different

14 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 FEATURES educational backgrounds is important. !e industry comprises mainly of those with an engineering degree, however I would argue that my physics degree was just as relevant in providing me with mathematical and problem solving skills as an undergraduate engineering degree. I was fortunate that this was readily recognised by Imperial College and then by my employer. How many more engineers could we produce if we communicated to scientists and mathematicians that engineering is a viable career option?

Addressing unconscious bias We need to think carefully about how we are marketing ourselves, are we unconsciously pitching to a certain group? !ere are studies that show men will apply for a job if they believe they fulfil 60% of the criteria whilst women will only do so when they hit 100%. We need to understand that there isn’t just one right way to be a successful engineer, we can be technical specialists, managers of teams, business development leaders and many others. If senior engineers in an institution or company are not particularly diverse, you can end up with a self-fulfilling prophecy where new entrants will also be from a similar background.

Using the media We need more documentaries and shows on television, articles and features in newspapers and online which feature true engineering in order to redefine the term. We need visible engineering role models to whom our children can aspire. Eighteen months ago I was part shutterstock.com

/ of a short slot on a documentary, I (wrongly) considered this a unique and one-off opportunity. I’ve been amazed at the interest level that followed my appearance, people are genuinely interested in a topic which they dutourdumonde previously had very little exposure to. Let us Roma designed the ‘spire’ of the Shard, seen here during the light and laser show at the build on this. opening on July 5, 2012. At 309.6 metres it is the tallest building in Europe. I believe that implementing even a few of these proposals on a large scale would at having contributed to its design, I also Shard. I want to see a diverse workforce in have measurable benefits to the state of noticed that no one was saying ‘what a fantastic engineering where stereotypes fall away and engineering. engineering feat’ it is. everyone considers engineering a prestigious I want to hear people saying ‘didn’t the and rewarding career. !e responsibility to !e future vision engineers do a fabulous job on the Shard’ achieve this vision lies with every one of us, rather than just the architects. I want to see let us all be less modest and tell everyone how I was at a party at a flat on the !ames earlier engineers on TV and the media and children wonderful we are as engineers. this year with a breath-taking view of the fascinated by engineering. I want to see the Shard. People were talking about it, saying end of gender stereotyping science toys and You can see WSP’s recent research into what a beautiful building it is and taking books, and children making the connection diversity here: photographs. Whilst I felt an immense pride from building Lego towers to building the http://bit.ly/IE19Diversity

Roma Agrawal gained an MSc in Structural Engineering from Imperial College in 2005. She is an Associate Structural Engineer at WSP and has designed bridges, skyscrapers and sculptures with signature architects over her eight year career. She spent six years working on The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe, and designed the foundations and the ‘Spire’. She was awarded ‘Young Structural Engineer of the Year 2011’ by the Institution of Structural Engineers, ‘Best in Science & Engineering’ EXXLI&VMXMWL-RHMER%[EVHWERH[EWE½REPMWXJSVXLI³=SYRK;SQER)RKMRIIVSJXLI=IEV´VYRF]XLI-RWXMXYXMSRSJ)RKMRIIVMRKERH Technology. Roma was the only woman featured on Channel 4’s documentary on the Shard, ‘The Tallest Tower’. Her career has been extensively featured in the media, including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Cosmopolitan and Stylist Magazines, and in online blogs. 3YXWMHI[SVOWLITVSQSXIWIRKMRIIVMRKWGMIRXM½GERHXIGLRMGEPGEVIIVWXS]SYRKTISTPIERHTEVXMGYPEVP]XSYRHIVVITVIWIRXIHKVSYTW such as women. During the last 3 years, she has spoken to more than 1500 people at over 30 schools, universities and organisations across the country and abroad. Roma has a BA in Physics from Oxford.

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 15 FEATURES Frank Russell (Min Tech 75) Copper and the next generation of mines

Background to create confidence in establishing the next !is knowledge is used to answer three !ere is general consensus that demand for generation of ‘super-sized’ mines. questions: copper will continue to increase, based on Its use is based on: 1. Will it cave? (Caveability) a combination of population growth plus • Lowest operating cost of any underground 2. What is the size distribution of the increase in GDP in less developed countries. mining method; rock reporting to the drawpoint? • A safe, highly productive method; (Fragmentation) • Ideally suited to automation. 3. What is the optimum spacing and geometry However, though conceptually simple, it of the drawpoints? (Mine Design) is perhaps the most technically challenging of all underground methods. Its use requires Caveability is the term used to assess whether a greater knowledge of the orebody and the ore-body will cave and is based on an surrounding rock than any other method, and evaluation of factors such as: rock strength, the a large amount of capital expenditure is needed extent and nature of fractures or discontinuities Tinto ‘up-front’ coupled with a long pre-production in the rock and the state of stress within the Rio Copper consumption and population period. !ese factors mean that the method is rock. Related to this is the plan area of the used by mining companies such as Codelco, orebody and the span that can be created to Freeport-McMoRan, and Rio Tinto who have induce the rock to cave. built up experience and have the wherewithal !ere are several methodologies used to to invest for the long term. !e ‘super-sized’ assess caveability, ranging from empirically mines being developed by these companies derived guidance such as that put forward by include Chuquicamata (50 Mt/y), Grasberg Laubscher and based on data from many block Deep (57 Mt/y) and Oyu Tolgoi (32 Mt/y). caving operations. In this case rock quality or modified rock mass rating (MRMR) is plotted Block Caving Basics against the hydraulic radius (HR) (area/ In essence the ore is fragmented by stress, perimeter) of the span required to initiate Tinto rather than drilling and blasting as in all other caving. !e HR accounts for the fact that, Copper consumption v GDP Rio mining methods including open pits. !e in plan, a circular or square excavation will be stress occurs from a combination of natural more likely to induce caving than say a long (depth and regional tectonics) and induced tunnel of the same area. But copper output is forecast to fall below sources. !e induced stress occurs when the demand as producers run out of reserves and orebody is ‘undercut’, a process that removes new discoveries get deeper, many beyond the a horizontal slice of ore over a large area, and economic reach of open pits. the stress becomes greater than the inherent strength of the orebody. !e greater the strength of the orebody the greater the area required (more than, say, a football pitch). Very weak rock may fragment over a small area (say, a squash court) without much stress being induced. !e fragmented ore then gravitates into funnel-like openings or ‘drawbells’ mined below the undercut from where it is extracted 2001 by ‘load-haul-dump’ (LHD) equipment. (See USGS Depth to Top of Mineralisation panel opposite)

(Base Metal Discoveries Laubscher

> 0.1% Copper Equivalent) Engineering After Block caving is the controlled collapse of hundreds of millions of tonnes of rock. So where is the copper going to come from? Laubscher Stability Diagram One source is a new generation of large scale Understanding the mechanical behaviour of underground mines using a technique called rock, in both the ore-body and the surrounding In the past 15 years or so numerical modelling block caving. waste material, is critical to the success of the techniques have been developed to bring some Although block caving has been in use for method. Hence early and extensive orebody science into what was previously a ‘black art’. over a century it has seen greater use in the knowledge must be acquired with a scope well !ese techniques are constantly evolving as past 20 years, such that both experience and beyond the standard studies associated with computing power increases and models are the production base has now been built up open pits and other mining methods. calibrated against actual operations.

16 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 FEATURES Fragmentation is the term used to describe the size, or range of sizes, of the blocks of ore that Stages of Block Caving are generated during the caving process. ! e ! e ore-body is accessed vertically by shafts estimation of fragmentation is based on similar and/or declines and then horizontally data to that for caveability as well as the height through tunnels. of the cave zone (as the rock fl ows downwards From the access tunnels a production it is subject to internal comminution, the level is constructed below the ore-body higher the cave zone, the fi ner the ore will consisting of a series of parallel tunnels be when it reaches the drawpoint). An (‘production drifts’) typically 30 m apart. understanding of fragmentation is needed to Along each production drift side tunnels determine how the ore will fl ow, the spacing are driven at about 15 m intervals to of drawpoints (fi ner ore needs closer spacing access the drawpoints from which ore will Sandvik than coarsely fragmented ore) and the type be collected. Access Development and Start of of secondary breaking equipment required to Production Drift Development reduce oversize ore at, or in, the drawpoint; and hence establish the rate of mining that is ! e ore-body above the production level possible from the drawpoint. is induced to fracture and collapse by a process called undercutting. Undercutting consists of drilling and blasting a slice of rock, approximately 15 m thick, the areal extent of which becomes beyond the point that the span of ore can support itself, inducing it to fracture and cave. Sandvik Undercut Level developed above Extraction Level Fractured rock falls into the drawpoints and is extracted by Load Haul Dump (LHD) equipment and conveyed to an ore handling system to the surface. Rio Tinto Rio Drawzones and Fragmentation Sandvik Again, several methodologies have evolved over Section through Drawpoints Showing the years to understand both fragmentation LHD at Drawpoint and fl ow characteristics, in some cases these methods have almost become proprietary with ! e cave propagates as ore production each mine favouring a particular method for continues and subsidence occurs. which it can then calibrate forecast against Eventually all ore is extracted leaving a actual. crater.

Mine Design is the process that takes caveability

and fragmentation assessments and attempts Sandvik to reconcile often confl icting concepts in order Caving Extends over the whole Orebody to produce a viable design of the block cave mine. ! is process primarily considers the spacing and geometry of drawpoints. Drawpoint Geometry takes into account the With most other mining methods, the planning Drawpoint Spacing takes into account the need to achieve a uniform grid of drawpoints, team has the opportunity of monitoring the fragmentation that, in turn, determines the based on optimum drawpoint spacing, while outcome of their design. ! is provides a diameter of the drawzone – a silo like volume allowing LHD equipment to access the feedback loop that allows subsequent design that represents the ore that will be extracted drawpoints. to be improved. With block caves it can take by a drawpoint. Finely fragmented ore will many years from planning through to full have a smaller diameter, say 8 to 12 m, to that production. ! is places a large dependence of coarser ore, say 11 to 15 m. As there is on getting the plan right in the fi rst instance a diff erent fragmentation profi le at diff erent and this, in turn, requires that the input data stages of draw a judgement has to be made as to the design is the best that can be obtained to the optimum spacing. An over-estimation at the time.

could lead to loss of ore and under-estimation 1981 Richardson Beyond the drawpoint the engineering to increased cost. Idealised Plan of Drawpoints needed for ore handling is no diff erent to (L- Hexagonal, R- Orthogonal) other underground mines except perhaps for the scale of the operation. Typically LHD units take the ore either directly to a crusher or to an orepass that feeds a truck or train haulage system to a crusher complex. From the crusher, ore is typically conveyed via a

Richardson 1981 Richardson shaft hoisting system to the surface. Because

Negative Effects of Incorrect Drawpoint 2003 Brown Spacing (L – too wide, R – too narrow) Typical Mining Plans to Fit Ideal Spacing of the scale and the fi xed pattern of ore fl ow to Practical Arrangement each stage is suited to automation and many

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 17 FEATURES mines have applied it to one or more parts of the ore handling system.

Safety ! e opportunity for mechanisation and obviating the exposure of miners to unsupported ground, makes block caving a safe, if not the safest, underground mining method. However, the industry has identifi ed some issues specifi c to caving that must be Aker Wirth Aker managed. Mobile Tunnel Miner • Collapses and rock bursts occur when the rock is subject to stresses beyond its inherent which it will be put. For example, rock quality strength. as assessed for caveability and assigned a rock • An air blast may occur when a large failure mass rating (RMR) would have less relevance in the cave compresses the air and produces than a rock quality assigned a Barton Q a rapid fl ow of air through exposed number to a contractor being asked to quote underground openings, resulting in a for developing access tunnels. violent and damaging shock wave. • A mud rush is a sudden infl ow of saturated Ore Flow fi ne material from the drawpoint. It occurs Because of the nature of block caving it is not when water builds up within caved material possible to ‘see’ inside a mass of caved rock. that contains suffi cient potentially mud- ! e limited knowledge gained so far on how

producing materials. ore fl ows within the caved mass has come from Herrenknecht Shaft Boring System ! e industry has developed guidelines for scale experiments in the laboratory and from mitigating these risks. For example, advanced numerical modelling techniques that often prototyping a shaft boring machine that will undercutting to minimise rock collapse on the can only be validated from these imperfect make shaft sinking safer and faster. production level, monitoring of extraction scale models. For horizontal tunnels Aker Wirth are rates and the interpretation of data from Some good work has been achieved with prototyping a Mobile Tunnel Miner (MTM) micro-seismic monitoring devices, can indicate the use of RFID type devices that are located at Northparkes Mine in Australia. the creation of an air gap and automated or within the orebody prior to the initiation remote-controlled loaders can be used to of caving. However these can only give the ! e Future produce from the wet areas of a mine prone start and end location and what is required is As the discovery of large resources of copper to mud rushes. a means of real time monitoring of a marker suitable for open pit becomes more infrequent generating x,y,z coordinates over time. (the industry needs to fi nd the equivalent of ! e Challenges Escondida every three years) one solution Despite the understanding and subsequent Mine Development to supplying the world’s demand will be the confi dence that has been generated in the past A typical block cave mine requires several mining of deep resources using block caving. 20 years in block caving, there remains a huge deep (greater than a kilometre) large diameter amount of research, data acquisition, numerical shafts for access, production and ventilation. References modelling and advances in mining techniques It also requires several hundreds of kilometre 1 Richardson, M.P., 1981. “Area of draw infl uence that are needed to mine future orebodies with of tunnels to be developed before production and drawpoint spacing for block caving mines”, decreasing grades and increasing depth. Some can commence. Current industry practice is in Design and Operation of Caving and Sublevel examples of these challenges are described to use conventional drill blast techniques and Stoping Mines, pp. 149-156. Ed. D.R. Stewart. below. despite improvements in the equipment and SME-AIME, New York. advance rates it still takes a considerable time Rock Characterisation to develop a mine. Timescales range from six 2 Brown, ET 2003, Block caving geomechanics ! is is the process by which various years for say a 10 Mt/y operation to twelve (! e International Caving Study I, 1997-2000), geotechnical features of the orebody and host or more years for the super-sized operations University of Queensland, JKMRC Monograph Series in Mining and Mineral Processing, No. 3, rock are determined and assigned a value on a (greater than 30 Mt/y) now being developed. JKMRC, Indooroopilly, Australia. scale that relates to a quality or characteristic Because of this timescale the economics, in used in the design of a block cave; such as NPV terms, sometimes become tenuous. 3 Laubscher, D.H. 2001. “Cave mining - state caveability, tunnel stability and modelling ! e industry, and particularly Rio Tinto in of the art”, Chapter 55 in Underground Mining capability. its “Mine of the Future” programme, is looking Methods, ed. Hustrulid and Bullock, SME, pp. At this stage of understanding there is no at ways in which the mine development period 455-463. single characterisation methodology that can can be reduced through the use of boring and satisfy the needs of the industry and hence the mechanical excavation techniques. rock is characterised according to the use to For vertical shafts Herrenknecht are

Frank Russell is a graduate of Camborne and Royal School of Mines (MSc Mineral Production Management, 1974-75) and has over 45 Got an idea for a story? years’ experience in underground hard rock mining. He was Chief Adviser Underground Mining for Rio Tinto where he led, or made a If you have an idea for a feature major contribution to, the application of block cave mining methods at Palabora, Argyle, Bingham, Northparkes, Resolution, DOZ and Oyu article, please contact Teresa Tolgoi. Since retiring from Rio Tinto he has carried out studies and Sergot or any member of the reviews of caving operations in various parts of the world for numerous Editorial Board (address and clients. He is the author of several papers on mining methods and mine design. Fellow IMMM and Chartered Engineer. deadlines on page two)

18 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 FEATURES Dr. Mark D. Sutton (Earth Science and Engineering), Senior Lecturer in Palaeontology Virtual Palaeontology

Introduction wax models of the original specimens. Despite Fossils are normally three-dimensional objects being intensely laborious and worryingly – think of dinosaur bones, spiny trilobites, destructive, serial grinding (and its relative serial fossilised shells, and the like. Totally fl at fossils sawing) were widely used throughout the 20th do exist of course, such as leaves pressed into Century as they represented the gold-standard the silty layers of ancient lakes, but these are the for data-recovery. Now married to modern exception. For the most part, palaeontologists computer visualisation methods rather than deal with objects in the round, and that third clumsy physical models, the approach is still dimension brings both extra information in use for certain types of material – the best and practical problems. Fossils are normally examples are reconstructions of the remarkable embedded in a host rock. A fl at fossil can be soft-bodied invertebrate fossils of the Silurian revealed in its entirety by simply splitting the ‘Herefordshire Lagerstätte’ [1]. rock open, but a three dimensional one can’t Serial grinding is a form of tomography; – if it is to be studied fully by traditional the visualisation or study of three dimensional methods it must be extracted whole, which objects through a series of two-dimensional normally involves either mechanical excavation parallel slices. A variety of scanning techniques or chemical dissolution of the rock. ! ese now exist that can perform tomography approaches can damage specimens, do not without damaging specimens; CAT or CT reveal information that may lurk inside the scanning is the best known of these, but some specimen itself (such as hidden chambers and of the profusion of variants and alternatives fossilised internal organs), and in any case are are introduced below. Tomography is not not always feasible. the only game in town either; ‘surface-based’ A better approach to studying this sort of techniques can quickly digitise the external material is to digitise the full three-dimensional surface of a fossil. Where internal details are unimportant and specimens are already free morphology, and study it on a computer: Jim Conrad virtual palaeontology. Virtual specimens A three-dimensionally preserved fossil from their rock matrix (many dinosaur bones have many advantages. ! ey are easy to work trilobite for instance) this provides another route to with, requiring only a computer rather than virtual specimens. expensive and lab-bound microscopes. ! ey publishing and presenting data. For these Scanning and tomography can be dissected, sectioned, and split into reasons and more, virtual palaeontology is X-ray computed tomography or computer diff erent elements, without fear of damage. quietly ushering in a new era in the way that assisted tomography (CT or CAT) is a familiar ! ey can be fed into computer-based palaeontologists work. medical technology; it uses a large number engineering modelling systems to better study Virtual palaeontology has a surprisingly long of 2-D X-ray radiographs, each taken at a the way in which the original animals lived; for prehistory, tracing its origins to techniques diff erent angle, to compute virtual ‘slices’ instance fi nite-element analysis can be used to pioneered in the early 1900s by the eccentric (tomograms) through an object and hence to study stress and strain, or computational fl uid Oxford polymath William J. Sollas. ! e Sollas reconstruct a 3-D representation. CT has been dynamics systems can be used to model water approach used serial grinding – specimens used in palaeontology for over 30 years, but fl ow. Finally, as virtual specimens are simply were ground away at fi ne intervals (up to medical scanners are not always optimal for computer fi les, they can be easily copied and 30 grinds per millimetre), and each freshly scanning fossils, being designed for humans; disseminated, making collaborative work exposed surface photographed. ! e resulting compared to most fossils we are relatively large, easy and providing new and better ways of data were used to build up layered cardboard or absorb x-rays weakly, and are distressingly A,B,D: © Royal Society; C,E: © Macmillan C,E: Society; © Royal A,B,D: Some virtual fossils. A-C: 425 million-year-old fossils from the ‘Herefordshire Lagerstätte’ [1], reconstructed using serial-grinding. D,E: 325 million-year-old arachnid fossils from Carboniferous concretions, reconstructed using Micro-CT. Original specimens are of various sizes, but all small; Offacolus is only 2mm wide, while the largest specimen illustrated (Eophrynus) is 20mm wide. A; the chelicerate arthropod Offacolus [4] C; the brachiopod Bethia [6] E; the harvestman Macrogyion [8] B; the shrimp-like Cinerocaris [5] D; the trigonotarbid Eophrynus [7]

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 19 FEATURES eagerly by us all! GB3D Type Fossils database [2]. Many other technologies exist that can Digital photogrammetry uses a series of perform tomography without using X-rays. two-dimensional photographs of an object Focused Ion Beam tomography, for instance, taken from diff erent positions to reconstruct is a nano-scale destructive approach that can a three-dimensional model of its surface. mill away very small increments and image ! e algorithms that perform this trick are the exposed surfaces using a scanning electron analogous to the visual processing that the microscope. Optical tomography uses various human brain performs to convert stereoscopic methods to isolate slices in translucent fossils images from our two eyes into a mental model by tight focussing, and for the right sort of of an object. Photogrammetry has many material can provide a quick and easy way obvious advantages; it is scale-agnostic (if to extract very high-resolution data. Neutron photographs can be taken at any given scale, tomography (NT) works in an analogous way a reconstruction can be made), requires only a to CT, but uses a neutron rather than X-ray camera, and (like laser-scanning) can capture source; while lacking the resolution of CT, it colour information from a surface. Resolution is particularly eff ective for organic-rich fossils. and precision can be as good as that from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), another a laser scanner under ideal conditions. From Sutton et al. in press [9] in press Sutton et al. From Tomography is the study of an object familiar medical technology, is generally not Photogrammetry has seen few applications through parallel slices; here 1, 2 and well suited to geological materials but has so far in palaeontology, although it has been 3 are slices (or tomograms) through a nonetheless found some niche applications. widely used in cartography, medicine, forensics hypothetical fossil snail Other methods exist too. and archaeology. ! e method has often Surface-based techniques been considered diffi cult to use, but modern As discussed, tomography comes in a software is lowering this particular bar, and intolerant of high radiation doses. Due to bewildering array of forms, and there are there is a lot of potential here for quick yet the scales involved, early CT adoption was very few fossils that cannot be imaged precise digitisation of fossil material. the province of vertebrate palaeontologists, tomographically by one means or another. Reconstructing and using virtual who remain the most enthusiastic users of Surface-based techniques further augment this specimens the technology. CT has, however, long-since formidable toolkit by providing a completely Gathering 3D data is only the fi rst step in expanded out of medical fi elds, driven by the diff erent approach to three-dimensional data preparing a usable virtual specimen that can needs of engineering and materials science. capture. Instead of working with slices, virtual actually be studied; the data must be also be Engineering scanners can now handle the or otherwise, these methods digitise external converted into a viewable three-dimensional largest palaeontological specimens, and surfaces. model. With surface-based techniques this is provide suffi ciently powerful X-ray beams to Laser scanners, which themselves come in a relatively straightforward, as the raw data (in penetrate them. At the smaller end of the scale, variety of fl avours with diff erent strengths and the form of a series of points in 3-D space) XMT (X-ray microtomography) has been weaknesses, bounce laser light off specimens can either be visualised directly on-screen, or available since the 1990s; it is now a relatively to generate a three-dimensional map of the converted into a large number of 3-D triangles commonplace means of studying specimens in surface using either triangulation, time-of- (a triangle mesh). Tomographic data, from the millimetre to centimetre range, and has a fl ight, or assessment of phase-shift to provide any source, is more complex. One problem resolution approaching one micron. Nano-CT measurement of range. ! ese devices are is that such data is often ‘noisy’, containing scanners also exist that can resolve even fi ner relatively portable, and can be taken to the fossil structures that are indistinct in places, or structures. CT has also been augmented in specimen rather than vice versa; they have geological structures such as fi ne cracks that recent years by the construction of tomography for instance been used to digitise mounted may overprint the original fossil. Dealing with beamlines at third-generation synchrotrons. skeletons in museums, and dinosaur trackways this ‘noise’ often requires human intervention, Synchrotrons are a form of particle accelerator in the fi eld. Laser scanners can resolve structures and hence there is often an interpretative that provide high-intensity sources of EM down to 50 microns in ideal conditions, and step where data is cleaned and the fossil is radiation; they can be used as an X-ray source can also record colour information. ! ey are carefully separated from other extraneous for palaeontological tomography, and provide also quick and easy to use, and have become structures. ! is is the virtual equivalent of the particularly clean and high-resolution data. the technology of choice for mass curatorial manual preparation work traditionally carried CT in its various guises acts as the mainstay digitisation of fossils; an example is the online out of fossils with drills, brushes and other of data collection for virtual palaeontology, but it is not a panacea. Some specimens are an awkward shape – CT works best on near equi- dimensional blocks of rock, and struggles with thin slabs. Some material also lacks suffi cient X-ray density contrast between fossil and host- rock to show up on scans. Phase-contrast and holotomography techniques use refractive phase-variation rather than simple absorption to spot structures, and are able to pick out very subtle compositional variations and hence to handle otherwise intractable material. ! ese do, however, normally require the single- wavelength X-ray sources available only at synchrotrons. Finally, certain experimental X- ray techniques such as colour tomography may eventually allow palaeontologists to map a suite of properties such as elemental composition and crystal structure in full 3-D; this would provide an even more data-rich approach to © EPSIM 3D/JF Santarelli A generalised synchrotron, showing beamlines arrayed around a central storage ring analysing specimens, and its advent is awaited

20 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 FEATURES fine manual tools. Once clean enough for reconstruction, the most common approach is to treat the set of slice-images as a volume, the 3-D equivalent of a raster image made up not of 2-D pixels but 3-D voxels. Surfaces representing the original outline of the fossil specimen, again in the form of a triangle- mesh, can be computed automatically from such a volume. Once converted to a triangle-mesh, virtual fossils can easily be visualised using the powerful graphics hardware ubiquitous to modern computers. Virtual photographs can be taken from any angle or lighting conditions desired. Even more usefully, the specimen can be manipulated on-screen as a 3-D object, and sliced, dissected, zoomed in or otherwise played with as much as the researcher desires. Recreation of the fossil in physical form is also increasingly practical with the advent of modern 3-D printers; these devices can take a triangle-mesh virtual fossil and reproduce it as a physical model, ideal for display or further study. Virtual fossils also enable palaeontologists to share information in new ways. Traditionally, when we published a new species, we accompanied it with photographs, but these could not document the full form; other scientists who wanted to check or continue [9] our work had to borrow the original specimens press from a museum. Virtual fossils are different; in

al. they can be published electronically, enabling et other workers to instantly download and

examine the full data. !is sort of data-sharing Sutton may sound like a mere convenience, but it is actually one of the key advantages to the whole From 3D-printed model of the trigonotarbid arachnid Eophrynus approach, and has the potential to completely change the way we work. It does not yet References [5] Briggs, D.E.G., Sutton, M.D., Siveter, happen quite as much as it could or should, [1] Briggs, D.E.G., Siveter, D.J., Siveter, D.J. David J. and Siveter, Derek J. 2004. A one problem being technical issues with file- and Sutton, M.D. 2008. Virtual fossils new phyllocarid (Crustacea: Phyllocarida) formats and availability of free software. from a 425 million-year-old volcanic ash. from the Silurian Fossil-Lagerstätte of Providing solutions to these problems is one of American Scientist 96, 474-481. Herefordshire, England. Proceedings of the the areas with which the author of this article [2] http://www.3d-fossils.ac.uk/ Royal Society, London B 271, 131-138. is involved [3]. [3] Sutton, M.D., Garwood, R.J., Siveter, [6] Sutton, M.D., Briggs, D.E.G., Siveter, Conclusions and summary David J. and Siveter, Derek J. 2012. David J. and Siveter, Derek J. 2005. Silurian Palaeontology is an old science, and many SPIERS and VAXML: A software toolkit brachiopods with soft tissue preservation. aspects of the way in which palaeontologists for tomographic visualisation and a Nature 436, 1013-1015. work have remained much the same for well format for virtual specimen interchange. [7] Garwood, R.J., Dunlop, J.A. and Sutton, over a hundred years. !e advent of virtual Palaeontologia Electronica 15, http:// M.D. 2009. High-fidelity X-ray micro- palaeontology however, borrowing techniques palaeo-electronica.org/content/issue- tomography reconstruction of siderite- from engineering, medicine, and other areas 2-2012-technical-articles/226-virtual- hosted Carboniferous arachnids. Biology besides, is changing things. With tomographic palaeontology-toolkit Letters 5, 841-844. and surface-based virtual techniques, three- [4] Sutton, M.D., Briggs, D.E.G., Siveter, [8] Garwood, R.J., Dunlop, J.A., Giribet, G. dimensionally preserved fossils no longer David J., Siveter, Derek J. and Orr, and Sutton, M.D. 2011. Anatomically present a challenge; instead they are now an P.J. 2002. !e arthropod Offacolus modern Carboniferous harvestmen opportunity for new types of research and kingi (Chelicerata) from the Silurian demonstrate early cladogenesis and stasis in new types of collaboration. All sciences, no of Herefordshire, England: computer Opiliones. Nature Communications 2, 444. matter how deep their historical roots, evolve based morphological reconstructions and [9] Sutton, M.D., Rahman, I.A and in their methods and in the mind-set of their phylogenetic affinities. Proceedings of the Garwood, R.J. 2013. Techniques for Virtual practitioners – and as palaeontologists are Royal Society, London B 269, 1195-1203. Palaeontology. Wiley-Blackwell, 224pp. particularly well aware, no type of evolution occurs at a constant rate. !e virtual Mark Sutton is a Senior Lecturer in Palaeontology in the Department of palaeontology revolution, for revolution it is, Earth Science and Engineering, in the Imperial College Engineering Faculty, represents an evolutionary burst within our where he has worked since 2005 following a series of postdoctoral science. Palaeontology will never be quite the appointments in Oxford. Mark works on the early evolutionary history same again, and I, for one, firmly believe that of molluscs, arthropods, brachiopods and other invertebrates, on 3D it will be greatly enhanced. reconstruction techniques, and on other computer applications in palaeontology.

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 21 ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS Colleen Richardson !e Face Behind the Name Many of you will have met Colleen KSSH  1] JEXLIV ½RERGIH QI ERH cutlery, etc and employed the all- Richardson when she was editor of I set up a Streatham photographic important bar man. Imperial College Engineer†7LI½PPIH shop. I rented a studio and lock- Colleen engaged a chef and the role with energy and enthusiasm, up shop. I only had a bicycle so waitresses. She was also in charge chatting to everyone she saw with when I did weddings I would cycle of the cabaret and took four girls an easy, friendly manner. She teamed there. I would then cycle back to on to the payroll. Every two weeks, up with Adrian Winchester to re- the wedding with the proofs.” Colleen went to the West End and vamp the magazine and it became a Later on, Colleen became a rep SVHIVIH RI[ SYX½XW JSV XLI KMVPW vibrant read, moving away from the JSVE½VQMR'LIWXIV½IPH6SFMRWSRW She brought in well-known cabaret traditional view of engineering as a who made bandages and supplied acts, which changed every fortnight, dry-as-dust subject. pharmacists all over the country. booking them through a Jewish The more I’ve got to know Colleen used to travel over a huge ‘Mama’. I’m sure Colleen was in her Colleen, the more I’ve appreciated area, living in Beckenham in Kent. element, enjoying every moment of her wide experience and wicked She decided to join the Bromley this new adventure. sense of humour. When I was asked Commercial Travellers Association, For two years the nightclub was to write about the real Colleen, I as this was what she did in her job. very successful. The local farmers knew it would be fun but had no She was the only woman and, when Colleen at 24 came in droves on Friday and idea how much. pressed, Colleen admitted that penny from the drinking game fell Saturday nights with their folks and Colleen was at Imperial College women were not usually employed SJJ-XLEHWXYGOXSQ]¾IWL[MXLSYX packed the place out. Colleen’s during a tempestuous period when MR XLMW ½IPH FYX [LIR MX GEQI XS me noticing.” Even drunk as she daughter was roped in to help out young men were coming out of the women’s personal hygiene products, was, Colleen will have had a huge behind the bar. But everything went armed forces and wanting to get they had little choice. “When I was laugh in her room. terribly wrong when IV was found UYEPM½IH8LIVI[EWLYKITVIWWYVI a Rep, I always remember going to Colleen met and married Harry to have his hand in the till. “He’d to get them through college. Unlike Cambridge. I put up in a lovely old Richardson after a whirlwind never had so much money around today, if anyone’s marks were too Trumpington pub. I was drinking romance and they moved to before and so he just took it,” recalls low, they weren’t allowed back the with the other guests and we Dorchester where Harry was Colleen. “The accountant should next year after re-sits. Instead, they started drinking games. One game working for the Atomic Energy have picked this up but he was a were asked to come back in two was balancing a coin on your nose Authority in Winfrith. Colleen had friend of the MD and an introvert. years and meanwhile the place was while drinking. We used a copper no job, Harry was working hard Everyone just trusted each other. ½PPIH [MXL SRI SJ XLI QIR [EMXMRK – one of the big old pennies. We had and Colleen was bored. Colleen We were devastated. It was awful. in the backlog of entrants after the very old dark bedrooms. I stripped never sits still for long and soon We had a meeting of all the investors war. Colleen was in this position off to go to bed and happened to joined the local amateur dramatic and wound up the Company. It took but when the two years were look at myself in the mirror as I society. There she became friendly a year trying to get rid of it and up, she’d moved on. She went to took my t-shirt off. There was an with three other amateur actors, paying people’s money back.” The Regents Street Poly and got a City enormous black hole in my stomach Bernard, Eddie and Ian. They decided nightclub was eventually converted & Guilds Diploma in Photography. and I thought something had burst to set up a ‘theatre in the round’ in into a hugely successful young “They had every camera you could leaving a big hole. Fortunately the the town. One was a café owner people’s hangout. The scandal of a want and the diploma was very hole disappeared when the copper so that was the food angle sorted. prosecution was too much for the One was an accountant so that was gang of four so IV quietly left the XLI½RERGIERKPIWSVXIH8LIXLMVH area, never to be seen again. was the son of a local businessman Colleen is a delightful optimist with many contacts so that was the ERH½RMWLIHF]WE]MRK±-X[EWEPSZIP] clientele sorted. Finally, they decided experience, a good time in my life”. to buy a large building in Dorchester Colleen doesn’t change and and open a restaurant and nightclub. continues to have adventures. When Colleen called all the local farmers she moved to Hemel Hempstead, up and asked if they wanted to invest she decided to have a lodger. She’s in this new venture and they all said had many lodgers over the years ³=IW´,EZMRKKSXXLI½RERGIWWSVXIH but one in particular stands out. out, the four decided to bid for the He was a lorry driver with a huge local Women’s Institute building, pantechnicon and, on occasion, which was about to become vacant. would park his cab outside the The nightclub soon took shape house. Colleen was interested in as they knocked the inside walls this different form of transport and, out. Colleen designed a stage and when he asked if she’d like to drive HERGI ¾SSV EVIE HS[R FIPS[ [MXL the cab, naturally, said ‘Yes’. She still tables all round. A winding circular recalls the inside of that memorable staircase led up past a long bar area cab. “It was huge with twenty gears.” XSXLIXST¾SSV[LIVIXLIVI[IVI 7SQILS[- ½RH MX IEW] XS MQEKMRI more tables. Colleen, on a Sunday morning, A friend of the businessman’s son, driving an HGV cab around the IV (we’ll stick to initials to protect roads in Hemel Hempstead with a The opening of the Maenbury restaurant and nightclub in the guilty), was employed as MD. huge grin on her face. Dorchester, Dorset in 1963. Colleen 2nd from top left. The three He’d owned a sandwich and coffee It was a chance meeting with other partners are Bernard: next to her; Eddie, the accountant, FEV [LMGL QEHI LMQ [IPP UYEPM½IH Frank Cassidy on a train that brought bottom left; Ian, bottom right. Among those adding to the XSVYRXLIRI[SYX½X8LIRI[1( Colleen back to Imperial College, glamour were the Mayor and Mayoress of Dorchester. organised staff, ordered table linen, where she took up the challenge of

22 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS becoming editor of Imperial College Engineer with her usual joie de vivre. Medal for Roderick Rhys Jones Knowing Colleen, there will be many more adventures to come! Alice Spain † Colleen was editor of Imperial College Engineer, the CGCA Journal, from Spring 1997 until it was amalgamated with RSMA Update to form Imperial ENGINEER in October 2004. She NSMRXP]IHMXIHXLI½VWXMWWYISJ-) with the Update editor before handing over to Bill McAuley. She has remained a vital member of the Editorial Board ever since. DIARY

Friday, November 29 RSMA 129th Annual Dinner 19:00 for 20:00 Venue: The Rembrandt Hotel, L-R : Sir John Parker (President Royal Academy of Engineering and Chair of Anglo American), 11 Thurloe Place, Knightsbridge, 4VSJIWWSV7XITLIR6MGLEVHWSR 4VMRGMTEPSJXLI*EGYPX]SJ)RKMRIIVMRKERH(ITYX]6IGXSV 7MV/IMXL London SW7 2RS O’Nions (President & Rector), Roderick Rhys Jones (Chair, Friends of Imperial College), Professor Dame Ann Dowling (Head of the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge). Saturday, November 30 On the 1st May, the Royal Albert Imperial and was Vice President of In 2002 Rod set up a new CGCA Hall played host to the largest the City and Guilds College Union. department for fundraising and 2013 Decade Reunion Luncheon graduation event for postgraduates After graduating in 1964, Rod joined alumni relations at Imperial, 12:00 for 12:30 in the College’s history, with 2,600 the British Antarctic Survey as a reinvigorated Friends of Imperial (Open to RSMA, RCSA, & CGCA) graduands receiving their degrees. surveyor travelling by dog sledge College and went on to raise £7 Venue: tbc Alongside the postgraduates, from Halley Bay in the Weddell million in new revenue for the honorary doctorates were conferred Sea to map mountains in the College. Thursday, December 12 on four people, including engineers Heimfrontfjella. He returned from He was Committee Member CGCA Professor Dame Ann Dowling Antarctica through South and North of the City and Guilds College Christmas Lunch and Sir John Parker. Imperial America working as a journalist and Association and editor of its biannual 12:00 for 12:30 College Medals were awarded to teacher before sailing across the magazine Imperial College Engineer for Venue: 170 Queen’s Gate three people who have made an 4EGM½GMREWQEPP]EGLX3RVIXYVRMRK many years. Under Rod’s leadership, exceptional contribution to the to London in 1967, he worked as a Friends of Imperial College has Friday, March 14, 2014 college, one of whom was Roderick journalist before going into industry substantially increased Imperial’s CGCA Rhys Jones (Civil Eng, 64). with consulting engineers, Oscar engagement with the public, alumni, Annual Dinner Rod is a businessman, fundraiser Faber and GKN. In 1978 he founded supporters and local people as they 18:45 to 22:45 and Chairman of Friends of Imperial a management consultancy serving gain access to the work, activities Venue: Cutlers’ Hall College. He is also Chairman of the the international engineering and and facilities of the College. Rod has British Antarctic Monument Trust, construction community. In 1983 he played a key role in a great many Thursday, June 26 2014 which he founded to commemorate co-authored a report for Imperial alumni reunions, networking and RSMA those killed in British Antarctic College which laid out a strategy fundraising events. AGM / Final year BBQ Territory in the pursuit of science. for the commercialisation of its Venue: tbc He studied civil engineering at research.

When we congratulated Rod CGCA London Walks Rhys Jones on his Medal (see item The CGCA London Walks above), he sent us this photo, with programme has been running the following explanation: since 2004. The present organiser, John Backhurst is retiring. We are “I thought you might like to see this looking for a volunteer to take his TMGXYVISJQII\TPEMRMRKXLIFIRI½XW place. of an iPad to Robbie Robinson a For more details please contact the past OC president who at 96/7 CGCA Hon. Sec. Nigel Cresswell must be our oldest pp and possibly via [email protected] our oldest member. He told me at a barbecue he organised at his home For more information MR;MRWPS[&YGOWXLEXLI´WHI½RMXIP] or booking for going to buy an iPad.” any events, contact Teresa Sergot [email protected] WE WANT YOUR NEWS or phone Let us know your news or stories 020 7594 1184 Contact Teresa Sergot (address and deadlines on page two)

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 23 ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS Who’s doing what and where The “Lively Year” Gathers! Warne

Mike The cliché about the sixties is “if you it was decided unanimously to do it and engineering technologies being & Guilds College. can remember them, you weren’t EKEMRMR½ZI]IEVW undertaken at Imperial. The visit During the dinner, Malcolm there!” During the weekend of There were two highlights. On concluded by our being hosted by Matthews proposed the idea of the June 14/15 twenty members of Friday afternoon Jerry Heng and his members of the staff at the Union the Class funding a scholarship. He the Chemical Engineering Class of colleagues organised an excellent Bar, where products of a more is still working on the idea and can 1963 emphatically disproved this tour of the Department, including traditional nature were consumed! be contacted at malcolmmatthews@ tired canard, although the accuracy presentations of some of the cutting- On the Saturday evening we talgroup.com should readers wish of some of the recollections may edge research programmes. The dined at 170 Queen’s Gate under to discuss this. In the meantime, it be open to dispute! We and our spray-on clothing was of particular the watchful gaze of past Rectors is hoped that as many members as partners came from far and wide MRXIVIWXXSXLIPEHMIWERHXLIEVXM½GMEP and the Prince Consort. It will possible can attend this year’s Decade for the gathering which was a blood project is a good example be recalled that he inspired the Reunion Lunch on November 30. tremendous success – so much that of the synergies between medical foundation of what became the City Bill McAuley (CTEC 60-65) Hong Kong thrives Ice-Bat racing: new sport? Alumnus Steve Ellis (BEng Mechanical reminded him of the Batmobile. Engineering 1991, MSc Aeronautics “The engineering and materials 1992), has always been a sportsman. skills I learned at Imperial as well He began rowing at eight and would as sporting experience in rowing, row to school in Windsor instead of cycling, and skating all come together walking like his friends. By the time he nicely in this project,” Steve said. was 18 he was a junior international Over the last 3 years he has rower for Great Britain. While at GSRXMRYIH XS VI½RI XLI -GI&EX -X Imperial he improved his rowing was designed to be easily ridden skills with the Imperial College Boat by everyone, including those with Club. In 1992, his crew set a record disabilities, and has evolved from at Henley that was only broken this being powered by a propeller to year, at the Ladies’ Challenge Plate. being powered using a bike wheel. Steve then worked his way up to “Touring round frozen lakes is a In the photo, from L-R, are Chris Ma, Walter Chan, Joseph Boat Club Manager in 1995-96. In QEKRM½GIRX I\TIVMIRGI ERH WMRGI Schembri (kneeling), Bob Hunt, Barry Adcock (Chairman of the 1996 he went to the Atlanta Summer these bikes are suitable for young &VERGL'SQQMXXII /IR,S.SLR0EXXIV4IXIV/II ORIIPMRK -ER Olympics as lightweight reserve. and old, able and disabled alike, this Livingston, David Sorton (Secretary of the Branch Committee), After the Summer Olympics, he took experience is now in reach for those 4IXIV4YRERH,/'LIRK a job with Shell International and who cannot or choose not to skate” The Hong Kong Branch of the City & Corporation’s Kowloon Station moved to the Netherlands where says Steve. Guilds College Association continues development at the foot of the he learned to skate and cycle. The Ice-Bat now travels at up to thrive, with a Luncheon Gathering International Commerce Centre, In the winter of 2010 he had to 28 miles per hour. Steve has FIMRK LIPH SR XLI ½VWX8YIWHE] SJ Hong Kong’s tallest building, in West an idea. “I lived next to a canal in also expanded his knowledge each third month, to allow Alumni Kowloon. the Netherlands. In the winter, it of ice formation and ice skating, to network in a comfortable social Ken Ho is also very active on freezes over. A few friends and I applying it to improving the Ice-Bat’s atmosphere. the Committee of the Hong Kong took our bikes out onto the frozen mechanics so riders can control the The luncheon on Tuesday 4th Chapter of ICAA, which has a very canal. Some of us made it, but one bike around 400 meter ice rinks. But June 2013 (photo below) was held large following in Hong Kong. fell and broke his bike. During this Steve doesn’t just want the Ice-Bat in Civic Square above the MTR David Sorton (Civil Eng. 71) experience, it crossed my mind that to travel in circles at high speeds. basically nobody has really tried to He wants the bike to inspire a produce a serious bike for use on new generation of sportsmen and ice. I decided that I wanted to make women, by establishing a new sport one.” of Ice-Bat racing which he hopes will The Ice-Bat was born, so-called become a Paralympic event in the partly due to the big black carbon 2022 Winter Olympics under the ½FVI TVSTIPPIV YWIH MR XLI FMOI´W name of Ice Track Cycling. original design but also because it More at www.icebatracing.com

24 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 ALUMNI NEWS & OBITUARIES BBOXX: Best UK Enterprise Provided water and electricity for millions RONALD TILBROOK GERRARD he joined Sir William Halcrow & In last Autumn’s edition of Imperial Chairman of the judges, John (Civil Eng 37) was born on 23rd Partners and worked on the design ENGINEER we featured the work of Leake, revealed the reasons for their April 1918. He oversaw the and construction of hydroelectric BBOXX, a spin-out company from HIGMWMSR ±&&3<< LEW MHIRXM½IH construction of huge hydroelectric schemes. From 1951 to 1954 he the e.quinox charity at Imperial that a clear market for their products dams, providing drinking water and worked for the Montreal Engineering provides battery charging stations and has already made remarkable electricity for millions of people. He Company, returning to Britain powered by renewable energy to progress in developing their business was a life member of CGCA. three years later to join the civil communities not connected to a in some of the most challenging In an era when British consulting engineering consultancy that became grid supply. BBOXX was established markets on the planet.” engineers dominated the world Binnie & Partners, where he would in 2010 by three of the founders Winning the North West heat market for vast infrastructure remain for the rest of his career. of e.quinox, Elec Eng alumni Chris brought BBOXX £5,000 of business projects, he was a key adviser to He was made partner in 1959 and Baker-Brian, Mansoor Hamayun and investment and numerous business the World Bank which was funding senior partner in 1974. Laurent Van Houcke. The company and networking opportunities. With major infrastructure schemes in His projects included the Cameron designs, manufactures and distributes their ambitious target to provide Malaysia, Pakistan and Lesotho. Highland and Batang Padang hydro- solar powered battery packs to 14 electricity to 20 million people He advised on the feasibility and electric schemes in Malaysia, the countries across the developing by 2020, such investment is much engineering design of what were Mangla hydro-electric scheme in world. The BBOXX system links appreciated. hugely challenging schemes in Pakistan (for which, in 1968, he was solar panels to a battery pack into Chris Baker-Brian, BBOXX’s remote areas, where there were no awarded the Telford Silver Medal), which people can plug lights, phone Executive Partner and Director of established construction industries. the Maseru water supply project chargers and televisions, or power a Research and Technology, expressed Born in Southampton, Ronald MR 0IWSXLS ERH ¾SSH HIJIRGIW JSV WTEGIYTXSXLIWM^ISJEWQEPPSJ½GI his pride: “This award represents attended Dartford Grammar School, the north bank of the tidal river depending on the size of the system. the exceptional work of an entire then studied civil engineering and Thames. He was a council member The company has now opened team. Over the past three years surveying at City & Guilds College, of the ICE 1974-77; Chairman of the a joint-venture factory in China we have worked phenomenally graduating in 1937. After two Association of Consulting Engineers and has attracted franchises in 14 hard to maintain our 100% year- years designing sea defences, he 1969-70; and Chairman of the MAFF countries, including Rwanda, Ethiopia, on-year growth rate and continued was commissioned into the Royal Flood Protection Committee 1979- Uganda, Kenya, DR Congo, Sierra expansion into new markets; what Engineers in 1939, at Bangalore. 82. He was elected a Fellow of the Leone, Senegal, Sudan, Somalia, and keeps us going is the real difference Soon promoted to lieutenant in ICE in 1957, of the City and Guilds Pakistan. BBOXX currently employs our products make to people’s charge of No 1 Bridging Section, he of London Institute in 1975 and of around 18 people in the UK, 130 in lives.” spent 18 months in Iraq and returned the Royal Academy of Engineering Africa and 50 in China. In April they went on to win the to India in 1942 for service in Assam in 1979. He retired in 1983, having In March this year BBOXX Grand Final, being named the Best and Burma. He was promoted to served as senior partner for nearly triumphed over stiff competition Enterprise in the UK. BBOXX co- Captain and to Major in charge of 10 years. In retirement, he pursued at the Lloyds TSB 2013 Enterprise founder Laurent Van Houcke and 422 Field Company, building forward his life-long interest in water colour Awards to be named Best Enterprise CFO Robin Claessens were on hand landing strips, roads and bridges. painting. in the North West. The clean energy to collect the award from Lloyds Demobilised in 1945, he worked Ronald died on 10th February company was a natural contender for TSB CEO Antonio Horta-Osorio on the expansion of RAF Northolt. 2013, aged 94, mourned by his wife the awards, which unearth and foster together with a prize of £50,000, plus This was followed by two years Cecilia, whom he married in 1950, enterprising spirit amongst students mentoring and support from senior on coastal defence work. In 1948 and family. and recent UK graduates. In order to Lloyds TSB advisors. Commenting achieve this accolade, BBOXX and its on the award, Laurent said “This is Long Service in Scouting competitors underwent a rigorous a fantastic recognition of all the hard DOUGLAS WILSON built his own home judging process. Shortlisted entrants work that the BBOXX team has HAIGH (Chem Eng 40) there and continued his were required to share great stories been putting in over the last three was born in Barnsley, involvement in Scouts, about their business with an expert years to grow our business into over on 7th January, 1919. A Rovers and the Church panel. Entrants were judged on their fourteen countries across Africa and veteran of WWII, he lived Choir. business concept, market research Asia, as well as develop and build a in England, India, Australia, In 1963, the family ERH½RERGMEPTIVJSVQERGI global supply chain.” Sri Lanka and Canada, moved to Canada, was a Chemical Engineer Douglas accepting a by profession and spent many years job with a consulting engineering in the Boy Scout Movement. practice. He learned soon after that Douglas studied Chemical the company wanted him to spend Technology at Imperial College, two years in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).   ,I [EW SR XLI ½VWX In 1966 the family returned XV Rugby Team, served as Hon to Vancouver. Douglas was again Secretary of the Guilds Rugby Club involved in the Boy Scouts, becoming and of the Guilds Athletics Club, and a District Commissioner, and over [EWSRISJXLI½VWXJSYVKVEHYEXIW XLI ]IEVW [EW ER SJ½GIV MR ZEVMSYW in Chemical Engineering. clubs. He was awarded the 35 year He trained with the Royal Service Medal and Long Service & Engineers, joined the 79th Good Conduct Medal in Scouting. Armoured Tank Regiment and, as a After his retirement in 1982, Second Lieutenant, landed with the Douglas travelled extensively, Canadians on Juno Beach on D-Day, enjoyed many hobbies, read widely staying with them through Holland and kept up to date on world and into Germany. In 1994, he was politics. He founded and attended again at Juno Beach, for the 50th various local societies and sang in anniversary of D-Day. Church Choirs. Returning to England, Douglas met Douglas and his dear wife Anne Anne Sager. They married in August celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1947. Douglas was the Scoutmaster August 1997. of 1st Davyhulme Scout Troop. Douglas died on 5th March, 2012, In 1952, Douglas found work at leaving a son, daughter, 3 grandsons a Pulp and Paper Mill in Tasmania, and 2 great grandchildren. * BBOXX

Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 25 OBITUARIES UK representative on standards bodies “A gem of a human being” WILLIAM GEORGE (BILL) LOVELL He became the Head of Digital and (From an Obituary in the Institution of Engineering & Technology Members’ News, (Elec Eng 75) died on 13 March 2013, 3D, involved in the development March 2013) at the age of 58. While studying and promotion of several of their DAVID GOWER (‘DAI’) JONES for telephony and television, a Electrical Engineering at City & industry-leading digital video (Elec Eng 38) was born on 4th March, major technological leap forward Guilds College from 1972 to 1975 cameras. 1918, in Streatham, London. from the then largely coaxial cable- he met his wife Deborah, through “At Arri Media, Bill showed the He graduated from City & based trunk networks. This included the university chaplaincy. Bill went same generosity and kindness which Guilds College and became a life- the microwave link equipment in on to become very well known, had made him so popular at Ealing. long member of CGCA. After a the relay towers of which the Post [SVPH[MHIMRXLI½IPHWSJXIPIZMWMSR MD, Franz Kraus, said Bill’s calm, brief spell with Marconi Wireless 3J½GI 8S[IV MR 0SRHSR [EW XLI cinematography and digital video respectful personality and sense of Telegraph, David joined the Post principal node. photography. humour made him friends around 3J½GI EW ER EWWMWXERX IRKMRIIV MR His work also included chairing Bill joined the BBC at Ealing the Globe. Bill was trusted by 1939. He was engaged by the Post the UK’s national panel of the Studios, progressing to be Sound everyone. 3J½GI 6EHMS +VSYT EX (SPPMW ,MPP International Radio Consultative Operations Manager and, later, Head “Bill Lovell – you brought your Research Station in the ‘design of Committee, Study Group IX, of Technical Services. The following ethics to the work place by quiet circuits and apparatus for telephone, responsible for international is from a tribute given by Nigel example – always full of hope telegraph and radio plant’. agreements on standards for Walters: and infectious optimism. Even in In 1941, he was commissioned international radio relay systems, “It was my good fortune to meet the darker days, exploring new into the Royal Signals, eventually and he often represented the Bill when he joined the BBC, 37 technology, you had faith in your spending much of the war at the United Kingdom at the International years ago. He radiated enthusiasm colleagues, and believed that a team Military College of Science in Bury 8IPIGSQQYRMGEXMSR9RMSR,MW½REP ERHMRWTMVIHGSR½HIRGI%GSPPIEKYI effort would succeed. Above all you as a lecturer in radio principles and ten years were spent as a senior wrote: “Often... when I had a problem, loved people; your greatest pleasure equipment, reaching the rank of staff engineer, overseeing Post &MPPTSTTIHSYXSJLMWSJ½GIXSEWWMWX in life appeared to be helping Captain. 3J½GI XIGLRMGEP ERH TVSGYVIQIRX in that inimitable way of his; at once everyone. You were truly a man of After the war, and back in the development projects. humble and authoritative, gentle and Faith, Hope and Love, a Christian 4SWX3J½GIEX'EWXPIXSRLISZIVWE[ David retired in 1980, was positive – and ALWAYS helpful.” gentleman.” technical developments in relay widowed shortly afterwards, but In 1996, Bill took voluntary Bill is sorely missed by his wife circuits and aerial performance of remained active. A keen singer, he redundancy and moved to Arri Deborah, son Simon, daughters Beth the new London-Bristol-Cardiff spent 53 years with the London Media, becoming involved in the & Ruth, and by a young grandson. * FM Band Radio Relay system for Bach Choir. emerging digital side of the industry. telephony. David died peacefully on 3rd During 1958, David became February 2013, in his 95th year, A Friend, Colleague and Mentor responsible for planning and leaving four children and six managing development of a new grandchildren. Provided by his friend and colleague Jörg Imberger, Center for Water Research national microwave link network TONY MAXWORTHY (Mech Eng 54), a great experimentalist in KISTL]WMGEP¾YMHH]REQMGW[LSLIPH the Smith International Professorship “The best boss I ever had” in Mechanical Engineering at the ERNEST LOW, (Civil Eng 54 DIC) University of Southern California died 15 April 2013. (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering, Born on 19 January, 1927, in died on 8th March 2013. Hankow, China, Ernest studied Engaged in some experiments in Civil Engineering at the University his lab, Tony collapsed and passed of Hong Kong. After working in away almost immediately, as he Borneo, as site engineer for railway was about to enter the building to reconstruction, and in design of do what he loved most: discover Sciences and a Life Fellow of Clare reinforced concrete structures, RI[XLMRKWEFSYX¾YMHQSXMSRWERH Hall, Cambridge University. He he came to City & Guilds College XIEGLWXYHIRXWRSXNYWXEFSYX¾YMH received the G.I.Taylor Award of the in 1953 to study for his DIC in mechanics, but to instil in them his Society of Engineering Science, a von soil mechanics and foundation company. passion for research. Humboldt Senior Scientist Award engineering. From 1954 to 1959 “Ernest worked as a civil engineer Born on 21st May 1933 in London, and the Otto Laporte Award of the he worked as a senior engineer and, before moving into consulting, Tony became a naturalised US citizen American Physical Society. from 1959 and 1969, as Manager, Site specialising in geotechnical on 17th March 1961 in Los Angeles. Tony and Anne visited CWR many investigation. engineering. He has been described He received his BSc(Eng) (1st Class times, starting in 1985 when we all From 1969 to 1978 he was a by many of his former employees Honours), and ACGI from Imperial went down to Margaret River for partner in Low and Parsons Brown, as ‘the best boss I ever had’. They College in 1954, an M.S. degree from the Environmental Fluid Dynamics specialising in geotechnical works remember how he helped build their Princeton University in 1955, and meeting (photo above). I am greatly and offshore engineering. In 1976 GSR½HIRGIERHPEYRGLXLIMVGEVIIVW a PhD from Harvard University in indebted to Tony for the advice he he also set up a partnership in Hong Ernest also worked as an arbitrator, 1960, all in Mechanical Engineering. offered and the example he provided, Kong, but from 1988 onwards he for which he was much respected, His primary research interests were E[SVPHPIEHIVMRI\TIVMQIRXEP¾YMH acted as an independent consultant, ERHLI[EWXLI½VWX'LMRIWIQERXS in environmental and geophysical dynamics, devastating in his ability to based in London. be admitted into a Livery Company ¾YMH QIGLERMGW EIVSH]REQMGW see the answer before the question The following is taken from a in the City of London. XYVFYPIRGIWSPMHM½GEXMSRGSRZIGXMSR [EW IZIR ½RMWLIH ERH E [SRHIVJYP tribute given by his son-in-law: “Ernest gave of his time to many ERHFMS¾YMHQIGLERMGW,I[EWE friend who loved life and adventure. “After a nomadic childhood, some groups over his lifetime, from the member of the National Academy of Ernest’s happiest times were spent City & Guilds College Association of Engineering, and a Fellow of the Tony you shall be missed. Anna please at University, and working in Borneo. to church working parties and American Physical Society and the accept our sincerest condolences. The fact that he remained in touch Freemasonry. American Academy of Arts and with so many people from these “Ernest enjoyed family life, times is testament to his sociable teaching his children to swim, building nature. He had a wide range of dens in the garden and the normal More complete versions of obituaries marked with an knowledge and, with his wry sense pursuits of a normal family.” * asterisk * can be found on our website (see page 2) of humour, he was extremely good

26 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2013 OBITUARIES His drive and perception will be missed Never missed Henley Regatta! E. R. (ROGER) PLACE (Chem Eng titanium dioxide pigment. He played (Obituary provided by Jan’s long-term friend Tom Gilbert, Chem Eng 1948-53, and 59-66) died on 19 May 2013. a major role in the development by those who spoke at Jan’s funeral on 2nd July 2013) In 1964, Roger married Jacky, who of a mathematical model of these survives him, as do his 4 children and processes and its integration into JOHANNES FRANCISCUS (JAN) 8 grandchildren. ¾YMHH]REQMGQSHIPWSJTVSHYGXMSR SMULDERS, (Mech Eng 49 & 50) After graduating in 1962, Roger scale reactors. He was to remain died aged 86 on June14, 2013, after joined Professor Weinberg’s heavily involved in the development a short illness. He was a life-long research team on the formation and of Huntsman’s unique process for member of the Old Centralians control of carbon particles in rich the production of titanium dioxide (now CGCA), and a member of the IXL]PIRIEMV ¾EQIW YWMRK STTSWIH pigments via the oxidation of Links Club. ¾S[TSVSYWHMWGFYVRIVW,I[EW titanium tetrachloride for the whole Jan’s family came to England from also one of the postgraduates who of his career at Huntsman Tioxide. Holland in 1940. After boarding at ran the steam plant to extend the Roger left Tioxide in 1994, Ampleforth, Jan studied engineering Callendar Steam Tables to higher continuing his interest in particle at City & Guilds College and, when temperatures and pressures. An technology as an independent he completed his studies in 1950, he enthusiastic member of the IC Rugby consultant. As Vice President decided to stay in England, marrying Team, he was a veteran of encounters (Technical) of the International Brenda. He worked for UK-based with bruising opponents including Fine Particle Research Institute, his companies for the whole of his the Metropolitan Police Team. He responsibilities included servicing career, albeit never relinquishing his maintained links with the City and the members of the Technical Dutch nationality. Guilds College and the Department Committee and ensuring their At Imperial College he took to of Chemical Engineering throughout decisions were made effective by rowing, winning Morphy races for his life. liaising with and providing direction Guilds, rowing in the IC 1st boat at In 1967 he joined British Titan to university personnel, worldwide, Henley, and gaining his IC full colours Products Ltd (now Huntsman contracted to do the IFPRI in the process. After graduation, Pigments) and worked in the sponsored work. whilst working in London, he Central Research Laboratories. He always provoked the alternative coached the IC First Eights. There, using very similar technology view and made his colleagues Jan’s house boasted a very small - industry and for oil and gas pipelines, to the porous disc burners, he was question common conventional but essential – river frontage. From involved travelling widely in Europe, part of the team investigating the thinking and assumptions. He had here he could embark in his sculling the Middle East and North America. kinetics of the oxidation of titanium a real love for the science and his boat. He also kept a motor boat for After Clarke and Ingersoll Rand tetrachloride and the factors drive and perception will be missed. family outings. (both now part of Halliburton) he affecting the particle growth of Jan rowed for Thames Rowing was Engineering Manager at Bechtel. Club from 1960-67 and then for ,I[SVOIHFVMI¾]JSV%MV4VSHYGXW Maidenhead. Throughout his life he ;,%PPIR ERH ½REPP] JSV 'SSTIVW Always fascinated by steam railways never missed Henley Regatta, even and Cooper-Rolls. ROBERT HUGH DE WARDT (Elec when this meant contriving to return In retirement Jan enjoyed rowing Eng 45) was born on 17th May to London from overseas postings and boating. He also found pleasure 1925. He studied Electrical Power for conveniently-timed meetings in volunteering at the Stanley Engineering between 1942 and taking place just before Henley was Spencer gallery in Cookham. 1945, and was a winner of the Sir due to start! Jan was a loyal ‘Old Centralian’, William Siemens Medal. He pursued Jan loved to meet people and to a true friend both of the Imperial a distinguished engineering career talk. His other loves were of walking, College Boat Club and of Imperial in the chemical industry, whilst art, and music, especially jazz. College itself. He will be sorely contributing generously of his spare Jan’s professional occupation, missed by Brenda, after more than time to the renaissance of steam in sales, engineering and project 50 years of marriage, by his family railways in North Wales. management, mainly in connection and by his many friends. * After 11-years at the GPO with machinery for the chemical in telecoms R&D and managing telephone exchange maintenance, Genuine Renaissance man Always fascinated by steam Robert joined Imperial Chemical Provided by his son, Mr John Wills. Industries in 1957. He ran ICI’s railways, Robert contributed his considerable engineering and Wilton Power Station for 4 GERALD MICHAEL BERKELEY organisational skills (and much years, then moved on to manage WILLS (Elec Eng 37) died June 27th, of his holidays) to helping with the carbonylation alcohol plant. 2013 in his 98th year. the restoration of the Ffestiniog From 1969 to 1978 he managed Born in Wolmer Cottage, Marlow narrow gauge railway and the Welsh construction activity at ICI Wilton, in 1915, he graduated from City & Highland Railway. In particular he overseeing a major expansion in Guilds College in 1937 and served worked on the construction of “the SPI½RIWTVSGIWWMRKTPERX-'-QSZIH with the army from 1939 until Deviation” around the Llyn Ystradau him to northern Germany in 1978 demobilisation, with the rank of VIIPWSJ½PQ%WEREHZIRXYVIVERH reservoir, the creation of which had to manage the construction of two Major. sportsman, Michael conquered the ¾SSHIHXLIVSYXISJXLISVMKMREPPMRI major new plants at Wilhelmshaven. In 1946 he met, and later married, Himalayan mountains, and later co- Robert and his wife Mary celebrated This was a period during which his beloved Kay during a 7-year tour founded the Lorne Park (Whiteoaks) their diamond wedding on the ICI was beginning to go through in Brazil and emigrated to Canada in Tennis Club. His Racing Demon Welsh Highland Railway on the 5th major changes which eventually led 1953. Before his retirement in 1980, skills were legendary. July 2012, along with a large group to its being broken up and, on his Michael travelled widely, including a Sorely missed by Kay, John, Susan, of family and friends. return to Britain in 1981, Robert 2½ year posting to England in 1963. David, Peter, Rob, Gabriele, Lee, Julie, Robert took a keen interest in took the decision to move to Fluor Michael is remembered as a Vally, Anne, Melanie, Jamie, Michael, industrial archaeology. He was also (GB) as Manager of Construction, loving and supportive husband, an Andy, Kristy, Stephanie, Melissa, an enthusiastic hiker and cross- a post that he held for two years exemplary father, granddad, and Nicolas, Annie, Shirley, Crystal, Tim, country skier. YT XS LMW ³SJ½GMEP´ VIXMVIQIRX MR uncle, and genuine Renaissance and cousin Jimmy. Loving brother of Robert died on 17th July 2012, December 1983. He remained man. As a dedicated family man and Ken and Margaret, predeceased, with aged 87, and is survived by Mary and active as a consultant for many years cinematographer, he documented fond memories of Tippy and Pan. his children Susan, John and Robert. thereafter. six decades of family history on 70

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