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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Isambard Kingdom Brunel FRS (/ˈɪzəmˌbɑːd bruːˈnɛl/; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859), was a British mechanical and civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history",[1] "one of the 19th century engineering giants",[2] and "one of the greatest figures of the Industrial Revolution, [who] changed the face of the English landscape with his groundbreaking designs and ingenious constructions".[3] Brunel built dockyards, the Great Western Railway, a series of steamships including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship and numerous important bridges and tunnels. His designs revolutionised public transport and modern engineering.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel | |
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Born | (1806-04-09)9 April 1806 Portsmouth, England |
Died | 15 September 1859(1859-09-15) (aged 53) Westminster, London, England |
Nationality (legal) | British |
Education | |
Occupation | Engineer |
Spouse | Mary Elizabeth Horsley |
Children |
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Parents | |
Engineering career | |
Discipline | |
Institutions | Institution of Civil Engineers |
Projects | |
Significant design | Royal Albert Bridge |
Signature | |
Though Brunel's projects were not always successful, they often contained innovative solutions to long-standing engineering problems. During his career, Brunel achieved many engineering "firsts", including assisting in the building of the first tunnel under a navigable river and development of SS Great Britain, the first propeller-driven ocean-going iron ship, which was at the time (1843) also the largest ship ever built.[4][5]
Brunel set the standard for a well-built railway, using careful surveys to minimise grades and curves. This necessitated expensive construction techniques and new bridges and viaducts, and the two-mile-long Box Tunnel. One controversial feature was the wide gauge, a "broad gauge" of 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm), instead of what was later to be known as 'standard gauge' of 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm).
Brunel astonished Britain by proposing to extend the Great Western Railway westward to North America by building steam-powered iron-hulled ships. He designed and built three ships that revolutionised naval engineering.
In 2002, Brunel was placed second in a BBC public poll to determine the "100 Greatest Britons". In 2006, the bicentenary of his birth, a major programme of events celebrated his life and work under the name Brunel 200.[6]