John Smeaton

John Smeaton (8 June 1724 - 28 October 1792) was a civil engineer - indeed, he is often regarded as the 'Father of civil engineering’ – responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbour and lighthouse. He was also a more than capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist. He was associated with the Lunar Society.

Civil engineering

Recommended by the Royal Society, Smeaton designed the third Eddystone Lighthouse (1755-59). He pioneered the use of 'hydraulic lime' (a form of concrete) and developed a technique involving dovetailed blocks of granite in the building of the lighthouse. His lighthouse remained in use until 1877 when it was dismantled and partially rebuilt at Plymouth Hoe.

Related Topics:
Eddystone Lighthouse - Concrete - Plymouth Hoe

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Deciding that he wanted to focus on the lucrative field of civil engineering, he commenced an extensive series of commissions, including:

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• The Eddystone Lighthouse (1755-59) - the third such lighthouse to stand on this site, remaining in use for over a century
• the Calder and Hebble Navigation (1758-70)
• Coldstream Bridge over the River Tweed (1762-67)
• Improvements to the River Lee Navigation (1765-70)
• Perth bridge over the River Tay (1766-71)
• Ripon Canal (1766-1773)
• the Newark Viaduct over the River Trent in Nottinghamshire (1768-70)
• the Forth and Clyde Canal from Grangemouth to Glasgow (1768-77)
• Banff harbour (1770-75)
• Aberdeen bridge (1775-80)
• Peterhead harbour (1775)
• Harbour works at Ramsgate (retention basin 1776-83; jetty 1788-1792)
• Hexham bridge (1777-90)
• the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal (1782-89)
• St Austell's Charlestown harbour in Cornwall (1792)

Because of his expertise in engineering, Smeaton was called to testify in a court for a case related to the silting-up of the harbour at Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk in 1782. He is considered to be the first expert witness to appear in an English court.

Related Topics:
Wells-next-the-Sea - Norfolk - 1782 - Expert witness

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