Exploring Engineering Feats of London

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Traveling to new places worldwide allows us to experience different cultures and explore historical sites and landmarks. Occasionally, on a tour or through a travel book, you learn of a historical nugget about the history of a site, landmark, or engineering marvel that allows you to appreciate a small part of the site or city’s engineering history. In this class, we will explore the history of significant engineering accomplishments in London. Being present in the city will allow for field trips and excursions to see firsthand where major engineering breakthroughs or marvels were pioneered and created. The course would also teach the basic mathematical scientific principles behind these breakthroughs or marvels to provide some engineering context behind the design. Since most Notre Dame rising sophomores will not have had Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism, the course would focus on civil, mechanical, and chemical engineering breakthroughs and marvels so that the prerequisite math and science would have already been covered in coursework. Some examples that are more civil/mechanical engineering-based are as follows: ● Prime Meridian (history and how it was chosen) ● Millennium Bridge (after installation, foot patterns resulted in resonance; the bridge was monitored and retrofitted with tuned mass dampers ● London Eye (it is only supported from one side to “hang” over the river) ● St. Paul’s Cathedral (it is a triple dome structure ● Exchange House (this structure only relies on four major arches and thus eight points of contact with the ground; designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill) ● Tube & Elizabeth Line (first underground subway; initially opened in 1863 and then grew in popularity throughout the late 1800s with advances in technology) ● Globe Theatre (investigation and discussion of fire propagation) ● Blue Whale in the Natural History Museum (exploring the cabling layout and orientation