Engineers - again.

Engineer's Eye this evening was all about the Boyne Bridge, that impressive cable-stayed bridge (viaduct) which carries the M1 motorway over the Boyne river on the way up from Dublin to Belfast and environs. Another interesting programme after last weeks, but I felt that the engineer discussing his work this week didn't have the same common language, if you like, that his counterpart did last week. That's not to criticize the programme, only that, well, he was inclined to use technical terms and jargon which might not have been known to a non-engineer. Uh oh, I'm going to get in trouble for being patronising, amn't I?

Here's a very informative paper on the bridge. It's a pdf file, so might take a while to load up.

I have forgotten what else I wanted to mention this evening....

I must upload some piccies of the recent Italian excursion - more later. I have just remembered something.

This blog made it to no.1 on a google search! What for, I hear you ask. Well, nch, rugby and typeface. Here's the proof!

Wow, Engineering in the Public Eye?

Naturally, you all appreciate engineering when you drive along our roads, or drink water from the tap, or enjoy protection from the elements in a nice building or flush the loo....no, of course we don't. It's all taken for granted. Which is exactly why it's done - so that people can take it for granted, use it every day and live lives as safe, convenient, and healthy as possible.

But I wanted to mention a very interesting programme this evening on rte radio one, called the Engineer's eye. (It follows a previous 6-parter called the Architect's eye, but naturally, that wasn't interesting or important - oh don't mind me I'm just playing on the old Architect-Engineer rivalry, ha ha don't you know) . The programme is like an interview, between the presenter and an Engineer involved with the work under discussion - tonight it was flood relief works in Limerick.

[Caution, long sentence ahead] Under the spotlight were the multitude of conditions and issues that engineers have considered whilst designing the flood scheme - not just water flow conditions and levels, or protecting towns from flooding, but also how the works affect minutiae of day-to-day fish life as in how they lay their eggs in gravel, and how the modified hydraulics must ensure that the gravel in the bed is kept loose for this purpose. So naturally, I found it interesting - but maybe if you're not familiar with engineering work, you'll find it interesting? There are no "science bits", it's all very ordinary and followable - like much of engineering...uh oh, the secret's out.....[Hey Mr, how's your Young's Modulus? bad in-joke there]

You can download the podcast - yes, we have all the lingo here at prenderb - and get details on further programmes here.

Next week it's the Boyne Bridge on the M1......2000 on RTE Radio 1.

Oh and by the way, the Architect's eye programme was interesting.

I have found something very cool, and I have a new name for it

I didn't design or have anything to do with this, but I think it'd be cool to call it a "Brunnel". It's a bridge with part being also a tunnel to allow ships to pass, instead of a lifting section. I think Brunnel would be a good name for this bridge-tunnel, and also sounds a little like the famous historical engineer, Isambard K Brunel!

I also have some ironing hints. This evening, I carefully sorted the ironing into 1-dot, 2-dot and 3-dot piles according to the care label. I started ironing at 1 dot.

I finished the first item on the super-heated nuclear steam setting and realised that care labels mean nothing. You should all know that. Goodnight.

Da booker prize again and the appreciation of important things

I heard on the news that John Banville was nominated again for Booker Prize winning possibilityness this year. So, if you like to read with a dictionary beside you, then cross your fingers now. I refer to my previous review of his almost impenetrable writings (the Sea, a previous winner, was found to this reviewer to be difficult to read and overwordy)

I was also wondering, with the water situation the way it is in Galway, will people finally learn to appreciate engineers and the work they do for them? Obviously something went wrong in Galway, and I'm not suggesting that it's a Good Thing, but people might realise how much they rely on the stretched staff in local authorities for the provision of clean water, sewage treatment facilities, roads and a clean environment.

And no, before you start, I'm not suggesting that it's all perfect all over the country either.