Make sure you enter the IStructE Kenneth Severn Award! It's a great way to practice writing, express opinion and build up some CPD hours!
We are the Young Members' Group of the IStructE Midland Counties Region, and our blog records what we get up to and what we're planning. For more information, email us at istructeymp@gmail.com or follow us on twitter & instagram @IStructEYMG
Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Beautiful Connections - Photo Competition
The aim of the photo competition award is to encourage young members in the region to recognise the amazing structural engineering around us!
The theme is open to wide interpretation, and this year is:Beautiful Connections
It’s free to enter, selfies are allowed and you can enter more than once! So get uploading before 23:55 on Thursday 20th October 2016!
Entrants must be 28 years of age or below by 20/10/2016. Please include your membership grade.
Entrants must be 28 years of age or below by 20/10/2016. Please include your membership grade.
The Winner will receive two tickets to the IStructE Midland Counties Regional Group Annual Evening Dinner & Awards Ceremony. Taking place at Edgbaston Stadium.
Thursday, 1 September 2016
Joint Networking Event (Late Summer 2016)
On Thursday 1st September the ICE G&S and IStructE YMG joined forces to host an end-of-summer networking event at the Rose Villa Tavern. This proved popular, with over 50 attendees enjoying the refreshments provided and partaking in a structures-themed quiz!
This was a great opportunity to network with professionals in the region from a variety of construction and engineering related courses and careers.
The winning team "Better without Becky" scored a fantastic 42 out of 50 points, and were presented with prizes.
Tuesday, 9 August 2016
Site Visit (Late Summer 2016)
On Tuesday 9th August, twelve of our Young members visited Galliford Try's BCU Conservatoire site. This is the latest addition to Birmingham City University's development plans, and the East Side Locks regeneration plan, involves a state of the art 500 seat auditorium.
The building includes vast internal spaces for performances including two large performance stages. The structure consists of both steel and in-situ reinforced concrete elements, with thick internal and exterior walls for sound insulation and acoustic performance. Its architectural appearance is more subtle and subdued in comparison to other new buildings in the East Side Locks development.
The Conservatoire will provide a cultural hub adjacent to the proposed HS2 Curzon street station and provide students in Birmingham with opportunities to display world class musical talents. It will replace the existing Adrian Boult Hall in Paradise Circus; construction began in 2015 and is due for completion in 2017.
Thursday, 30 June 2016
Routes to Membership (Summer 2016)
The event was well attended and outlined everything about membership including academic qualifications, the application process, the interview and the exam. It was an excellent opportunity to ask questions and speak to committee members, HQ representative and professionally qualified members. The meeting also discussed all levels of membership i.e. Technician, Associate and Chartered Membership.
Speakers included the Membership & Education Services Director from HQ - Darren Byrne, Regional Group PRI co-ordinator and various committee members.
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Quiz & Networking Event (Summer 2016)
At the end of June over 40 people joined us for our summer networking event!
This was a great opportunity to network with professionals in the region from a variety of construction and engineering related courses and careers.

47.0 The Magnificent Four
46.0 Martin's Team
44.5 Team 4 (Fantastic)
40.0 We come one
31.5 Blank
Well done to "The Magnificent Four", a team from AECOM, WSP | PB and Arcadis:
For further information, please contact us at istructeymp@gmail.com or find us on:
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Site Visit (Summer 2016) - Two Arena
Flyer - Click to enlarge |
Fronting Broad Street and adjacent to Centenary Square, the 9.2 acre Arena Central site represents a highly deliverable and desirable location for work, leisure and retail. Sitting at the heart of Birmingham city centre, it is master-planned to deliver 1.2 million sq ft of mixed-use development, set within a brand new landscaped public realm.
Two Arena Central is next to the existing municipal bank and for the project to reach this stage has required careful coordination with a number of stakeholders. The eleven-storey office building (forward-purchased by global bank HSBC) sits above a rail tunnel and adjacent to the Paradise Circus redevelopment works, creating unique construction challenges that go beyond the norm for a commercial project of this type.
One challenge in particular that our Young Members found interesting was how the structure interfaced with the railway lines below. Our hosts, Galliford Try, explained how a bridging structure had been used to take the loads down through sleeved piles, either side of the railway tunnel, this avoiding any change to the loading regime of the tunnel itself.
A big thank you to Galliford Try for hosting what was a fascinating site visit. We hope to be back for more in the future and will keep our eyes on the site as it develops!
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Demolition Engineering Talk (Spring 2016)
He told us how the MAN Holder was to be de-constructed using the innovative method of raising the internal piston, cold cutting the roof free, using a floating working platform to enable cutting and lifting down of sections of the holder with bespoke roof top cranes.
This was the gas holder demolition featured in the television series “Demolition – The Wrecking Crew”. Watch this to hear more about the constraints surrounding the site, the engineering behind the innovative techniques and physicality’s of cold cutting the holder down.
Thursday, 7 April 2016
Project Talk: Three Snowhill (Spring 2016)
Flyer - Click to enlarge |
Three Snowhill is a long-awaited office scheme, offering Grade A offices over 16 storeys, along with leisure, retail and parking space. Situated alongside Snow Hill station it will join neighbours One and Two Snowhill.
Due to the history of the site, the scheme involves remodelling the existing five levels of basement and cores, which will serve the proposed development. Above ground the structure will be steel-framed, wrapped in curtain walling on all elevations. Three Snowhill will change the skyline of the city centre and in doing so intends to set new standards for regional office development.
This was a unique opportunity to hear about this exciting local project! Thanks very much to Malcolm Davidson for speaking.
For further information, please contact us at istructeymp@gmail.com or find us on:
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
Interprofessional New Year Networking (Winter 2016)
Flyer - Click to enlarge |
18th February 2016
18:00 - 23:00
Vertu Bar
25 Frederick Street
Birmingham
B1 3HH
Professionals in attendance will range from accountants, solicitors, planners, engineers and architects. Starting the evening with a drink, a DJ will be there to entertain us while we eat, drink and dance the night away.
There will also be a raffle to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society.
£15 including VAT
Dress to impress!
For further information, please contact us at istructeymp@gmail.com or find us on:
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Make & Break Competition (Spring 2016)
On Tuesday 1st March at the University of Birmingham's Civil & Mechanical Engineering Building Design Centre we held our Make & Break Competition.
This year's brief was a tower structure, with the aim to maximise the height of the load, whilst still building efficiently. Six teams, each made up of a mix of individuals, competed against each other - to construct the best structure within the time of 50 minutes.
This year's brief was a tower structure, with the aim to maximise the height of the load, whilst still building efficiently. Six teams, each made up of a mix of individuals, competed against each other - to construct the best structure within the time of 50 minutes.
This year's brief was a tower structure, with the aim to maximise the height of the load, whilst still building efficiently. Six teams, each made up of a mix of individuals, competed against each other - to construct the best structure within the time of 50 minutes.
This year the range of materials available was greater, making for a more diverse range of structures and construction techniques. Each material had a cost associated with it, and it was up to the teams to decide the most efficient way to complete the build and support their load.
Prizes were awarded to the winners, as well as certificates for second and third places. The final results list is:
This year the range of materials available was greater, making for a more diverse range of structures and construction techniques. Each material had a cost associated with it, and it was up to the teams to decide the most efficient way to complete the build and support their load.
Prizes were awarded to the winners, as well as certificates for second and third places. The final results list is:
1st - Team 2 - 48 points - WINNERS
2nd - Team 3 - 44 points
3rd - Team 1 - 42 points
4th - Team 4 - 21 points
5th - Team 5 - 15 points
6th - Team 6 - 1 point
Thursday, 28 January 2016
Joint Speed-Networking Event (Spring 2016)
Young Practitioners Forum Networking Event
18:00 Thursday 10th March
Apres,
Summer Row
Birmingham
Join us in March for a joint speed networking event!
This event is held in conjunction with the RTPI, LI, RIBA, RICS and ICE - so have your business cards at the ready...
The event will involve opportunities to network with professionals in the region from a variety of construction and engineering related courses and careers. Please invite friends and colleagues within the industry; they are welcome to join us.
There will also be a number of recently chartered members and regional committee members on hand to share their experience and answer any questions you might have.
This event costs £6 to attend which will get you food and drink. Please get your tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/young-practitioners-forum-west-midlands-speed-networking-event-2016-tickets-21032394458
For further information, please contact us at istructeymp@gmail.com or find us on:
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Flyer - Click to enlarge |
18:00 Thursday 10th March
Apres,
Summer Row
Birmingham
Join us in March for a joint speed networking event!
This event is held in conjunction with the RTPI, LI, RIBA, RICS and ICE - so have your business cards at the ready...
The event will involve opportunities to network with professionals in the region from a variety of construction and engineering related courses and careers. Please invite friends and colleagues within the industry; they are welcome to join us.
There will also be a number of recently chartered members and regional committee members on hand to share their experience and answer any questions you might have.
This event costs £6 to attend which will get you food and drink. Please get your tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/young-practitioners-forum-west-midlands-speed-networking-event-2016-tickets-21032394458
For further information, please contact us at istructeymp@gmail.com or find us on:
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