George Stephenson was a commendable magnate who shaped and cultivated the application of Civil Engineering. The objective of this essay is to explore the achievements of George Stephenson. The essay will be divided into four main parts which are a concise biography of George Stephenson, the impact that his work has had on my interest in Civil Engineering, the reasons why his work is worthwhile to study and an evaluation of his successes and contributions.
George Stephenson, remembered as the “Father of Railways” [2], was born in Wylam in 1781 [3]. Initially he started working with his fireman father at local coal mines when he was a teenager to support his family [4]. Since Stephenson was raised by an illiterate poor family [5], he was self-motivated to learn how to read and write as soon as he could afford to pay for his own night school education [6]. As Stephenson was fascinated about machinery, he was appointed as the enginewright at Killingworth Colliery because of his diligence in 1812 [7]. Subsequently in 1814, he designed his first steam locomotive, Blucher, successfully [8]. Then by 1825, he convinced Edward Pease with his breakthrough of 8-mile railway in 1821 [9] and was granted to work out the Stockton and Darlington railway that was the first railway driven without animal power [10].The success of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830 [12] and the Rocket in 1829 [13] secured his prestige. Later, he was selected as the first President of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 1847 [14] and died in 1848 [4].
In view of my interest in Civil Engineering, I chose to study George Stephenson because he was an outstanding civil and mechanical engineer. George Stephenson is thought to have established the foundatio...
... middle of paper ...
...tephenson, because he inherited the fame from his father and financial support as George Stephenson got richer later in his lifetime. In spite of these criticisms, George Stephenson had definitely led Britain forward on its development of railways and paved the footsteps for other engineers to follow. On balance, he is deemed to be a gifted and exceptional engineer who made a tremendous influence on the application of both Civil and Mechanical Engineering to the human activities.
From the evidence discussed above, it is clear to see that George Stephenson was an outstanding figure who sculpted the development of Civil Engineer by his input to the railways. His triumph was remarkable yet his prestige could be shared between his son and his assistants. It is irrefutable that he laid down the keystone for Civil Engineering and had his global impacts on transportation.
Ambrose, Stephen. Nothing Like It In the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. Print.
By giving the biographies of architects Richard Neutra and Robert Alexander, Hines does nothing to remedy his aimless writing. He writes that Neutra had a variety of experience as an archi...
Q: Use St Peter’s basilica and Donato Bramante’s Tempietto in Rome, in opposition to John Balthasar Neumann’s Pilgrimage Church of Vierzehnheiligen in Bamburg, Germany, to argue that a rational engagement with architecture is a more effective means to comprehend and understand architectural form.
George M. Pullman is best remembered for his contributions to the railroad industry through the invention of his Pullman Cars. The cars sold well and the railroad industry flourished with this new invention. Although the success attached to his name, not many people know the real truth behind this robber baron. His greed for money took him to extreme measures as his workers were seriously mistreated and put under strict
In order to detail the rise of railroads throughout this era of technological boom, it is important to understand the Industrial Revolution, which was the start of this success; it paved the way for major changes in the modern society we live in today. This is the period between the 18th and 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportatio...
Cornelius Vanderbilt is most recognized in the United States history for building the New York Central Railroad System and expanding this system to be over 2,400-miles long. From when Vanderbilt was only eleven-years-old, to the day he died, he was working hard, making money, and becoming known as one of the richest persons of, not only his time, but all time. Vanderbilt was also known for his impeccable business skills in the boating and railroad industry, and how he made such a fortune through these two things. Throughout United States history, many people are admired for their hard work and dedication to their businesses and how successful they are in their fielf, but Cornelius Vanderbilt will always be remembered as the most successful, competitive, hard-working, and intelligient businessman in the hisstory of the United States. (Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline: Who Is Cornelius Vanderbilt? Everything You Need to Know. Page
Frank Lloyd Wright is widely known and is considered to be America’s greatest architect. He is considered, in the eyes of many, to be the most consequential American architect of the 20th century. “Strongly individualistic, flamboyant, and arrogant, Wright designed and built more than four hundred structures that reflect his architectural genius. Directly and indirectly, he heavily influenced twentieth century architecture with his diverse use of geometry in his designs” (Eisenman).
Inventors make many lives more comfortable and convenient. George Edward Alcorn, Jr. was a well-known inventor, but he was a well-established scientist and businessman.... ... middle of paper ... ...
In the following years Ford learned how to work and service steam engines. In 1883 the Edison Illuminating Company hired him, he later earned the position of chief engineer. After two years of working non stop Henry Ford made the first Quadricycle that did not need to be pulled by a horse. That same year Ford meet his role model, invertor Thomas Edison, he encouraged Ford to ma...
However, a problem arose when building these neoclassical structures. Neoclassical works are generally made out of stone, which takes time to carve out, the draftsm...
The book, Towards A New Architecture by Le Corbusier is not at all what one would expect. Thinking that the great master architect would limit himself t...
However, the success of the building schemes relied on the construction methods and innovations that are now attributed as bei...
Though there was over 350 miles of railway laid throughout England in 1801, there was no commercially viable railway implemented before the 1830's. Some rails were still made of wood, others iron and the first trains traveled at the pace of 3.5 miles per hour, significantly slower than the horse drawn coach which traveled at a speed of 9-10 miles per hour. According to Jack Simmons in his book, The Railway in England and Wales, 1840-1914, the Manchester-Liverpool line is notable to mention because it did three things no other railway to date had: 1) all traction was mechanical for the first time; 2) the Company carried both passengers and freight; and 3) the linkage of two commercial towns was exceptional. The concept that a man could leave his town to conduct business in another town and be back in his own home the same day was unheard of. People found this aspect of the railway very enticing. Simmons writes, "There was no doubt at the time about the...
of their buildings. One of the basic questions that this paper will be seeking to answer is whether architects and critics accepted ...
It seems that every era from ancient times to modern times has engineers playing a strong role in the development of society; they build many structures that identify that culture and time period. Engineers create something out of an idea; they fill a need and fulfill a dream such as a skyscraper that no one thought would ever be possible. “Scientists investigate that which already is; engineers create that which has never been” (Albert Einstein).