John Smeaton was an
English engineer and a physicist, famously known as the ‘Father of Civil
Engineering’. He was a master at his work and a self-proclaimed Civil Engineer,
an eminent forerunner of his profession. Although initially he pursued the
legal profession like his father, later he decided to be an instrument maker.
He gained most of his training and scientific knowledge through reading and
attending the meetings of Royal Society of London. He constructed bridges,
canals and harbors in addition to his works of mechanical engineering. He devised
new ways for construction; whether it was the material he used for building or
the technique to strengthen the rigidity of the object. Through his dedication
and genuine efforts, his every project emerged as a masterpiece, a passionate
work of art. He transformed the work of engineering, which was considered as a
handicraft work, to a scientific process of experimenting and devising
mechanisms in architectural work. He was the first person to coin the term
‘civil engineers’ and also established the first ever engineering society in
the world. His earnest work is an inspiration for everyone; to be fearless of
the choices they make in life and work with dedication for their dreams to come
true.
Career
·
In 1748, he opened his own shop in Great Turnstile in London with a
little knowledge of science and tool-making under his sleeve. His friend, Henry
Hindley, helped him to understand the art of making instruments.
·
In 1750, he collaborated with Dr. Gowin Knight to develop a mariner’s
compass, which later became a Royal Navy standard issue. Along with the
compass, he also invented a prototype machine to measure the speed of ships,
which was not very accurate in heavy seas.
·
In 1751, he moved his shop from Great Turnstile to a larger place in
Furnival Inn Court and employed three craftsmen under his supervision.
·
In 1752, he conducted some experiments related to power of windmills and
water wheels which were successful and proved his expertise in the knowledge of
science and engineering.
·
In 1756, he was chosen to build the new lighthouse for Eddystone Rocks
near Plymouth, England. It was his first and one of his most acknowledged
engineering projects.
·
In 1759, he published a paper concerned with watermills, the major
source of power at that time. His work was honored with the Copley Award.
·
In 1760, he showed his mechanical engineering skills and developed a
water pressure engine that pumped water which was later superseded by James
Watt’s steam engine. He also developed a pyrometer to study material expansion
·
During his professional career, he engineered the construction of
various canals, bridges and harbors including the Coldstream Bridge, Ripon
Canal, Aberdeen Bridge, Peterhead Harbour and Forth and Clyde Canal in
Scotland. He also contributed in building 43 mills including his most
significant one at Carron Company ironworks in 1769.
·
In 1782, he built the Chimney Mill at Spital Tongues in ‘Newcastle upon
Tyne’, the first 5-sailed smock mill in Britain. He is also recognized for
improving the Edmund Halley’s diving bell by adding an air pump to it, so that
it can be used underwater as well.
·
He was member of Lunar Society and a co-founder of the ‘Society of Civil
Engineers’ in 1771 which was renamed ‘Institution of Civil Engineers’ in 1818.
·
From 1759 to 1782, he conducted some experiments which supported the
theory of formulation of conservation of energy by Gottfried Leibniz. But his
discovery was opposed by followers of Isaac Newton, who believed his
formulation was inconsistent with Newton’s theory of conservation of momentum
Major Works
·
One of his most notable works is of the construction of the lighthouse
on Eddystone Rocks from 1756 to 1759. After the destruction of two previous
lighthouses due to storms, he was selected to construct a rigid one which he
did successfully. He was the first to use ‘hydraulic lime’ for its steady
foundation and also developed a technique involving dovetailed blocks of
granite for its construction.
·
In 1759, he published a paper ’An Experimental Enquiry Concerning the
Natural Powers of Water and Wind to Turn Mills and Other Machines Depending on
Circular Motion’ addressing the relationship between pressure and velocity for
objects moving in air and his concepts were subsequently developed to devise
the 'Smeaton Coefficient'.
·
He coined the term ‘civil engineers’ to distinguish them from military
engineers of that time and was also a co-founder of ‘Society of Civil
Engineers’ in 1771.
Awards & Achievements
·
In 1753, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society through his published
papers on instrument making.
·
He was honored with the Copley Award in 1759 for his extraordinary
research in the mechanics of waterwheels and windmills.
·
In 1834, the Society of Civil Engineers, which he was a co-founder of,
was renamed as the ‘Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers’ in his honor.
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