Dr Brett McKinley

Overview

I have over 15 years experience of the design, instrumentation and implementation of physical test programmes for research and commercial product development in the field of structural engineering that includes product development and validation of third party designs. Particular interests include the assessment and durability of existing structures, steel and concrete composite structures, concrete durability, sensors and instrumentation. I primarily teach structural design at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

I rejoined City University London in August 2010 as a Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering and continue to act as a Consultant Structural Engineer to Pell Frischmann Consultants Ltd for whom I have worked since 2007. Prior to this I was a Lecturer in Structural Mechanics for the university conducting research in civil engineering and teaching vehicle structures and chassis dynamics in the field of automotive engineering.

As Manager of the Heavy Structures Laboratory for the Department of Civil Engineering, I am responsible for health and safety in the laboratory and am orchestrating the laboratory redevelopment including the purchase of new concrete mixing and testing facilities as well as new structural loading equipment for use on the strong floor.

Commercial Activity

Whilst some commercial activity includes feasibility studies for large projects and design of new structures, most has focused on the condition assessment and ongoing monitoring of existing structures, redevelopment of structures and specialist investigations. Projects have included the assessment and continuous monitoring of buried concrete structures subjected to the aggressive environments around Abu Dhabi, condition assessments of concrete structures in Azerbaijan and Nigeria and vibration assessments of steel structures in Iraq.

Qualifications

1. PhD Civil Engineering, City, University of London, United Kingdom, 2000
2. MEng Civil Engineering, City, University of London, United Kingdom, 1995

Teaching

CV2405 Design and Construction

Part 2 students undertake a number of projects including an intensive 5-week long project concerned with the outline design of a large structure for which they are not explicitly taught e.g. a dam.

CV2406 Structural Design

The module introduces students to concepts of structural design that includes differences between actual and theoretical structural behaviour such that the students can design safe steel framed structures.

CV3403 Structural Engineering

I teach concepts of structural stability as part of this module that is shared with other colleagues.

CVM305/325 Integrated Design Project

I have taken over the lead role in this 45-credit module that guides students through the design process of a large and complex project that requires significant interaction and design compromise. Typically the focus is the design of a large commercial port.

EPM712 Design of Steel and Composite Structures

Few postgraduate students have been introduced to the design of composite structures but usually have some experience of design. The module introduces this more complex subject and their project takes them through the design of a structure usually in accordance with the requirements of the Institution of Structural Engineers entrance examination.

Undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations

Students undertaking a project under my supervision usually focus on subjects such as the durability of concrete structures or the behaviour of composite structures.

Current research

I have two small funded research projects underway at present concerned with the effect of hot and changeable environments, as found in the Middle East, on the short and long term durability of concrete structures.

Research interests including past research

Past research has lead to a number of developments, including Bi-Steel and Cellular Beams in association with national organisations such as ASD Westok Ltd, The Steel Construction Institute and British Steel.

Products developed have mainly been concerned with steel and concrete composite structures including Tata Bi-Steel® and Slimdek® and Westok CellBeam® and various glass structures but also includes European collaborations developing sensors and instrumentation that has been used implemented on several bridges including one over a Norwegian fjord and the first public highway bridge in the UK to be made entirely of polymer composites.

Other Interests

Other interests are generally concerned with structural integrity monitoring of civil engineering structures including steel, concrete and polymer composite bridges using optical fibre sensing techniques. Long-term field trial monitoring and testing of a steel concrete composite bridge in Norway was successfully achieved during a European Union funded Brite-EuRam project validating the instrumentation and monitoring approach. Similar work has also been conducted on the first public polymer composite bridge, Swindon, UK with current work expanding the optical fibre monitoring techniques for detecting damage within structures for improved life and repair. As an example, studies are being conducted using optical fibre based instrumentation to monitor the load history of piled foundations in London Clay.

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