Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Building Industrial Briton.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel born 1803 in Portsmouth, England is known as one of the Uk's most eminent engineers. His creations bridged gaps, tunnelled under rivers, built a railway and launched great ships.
The man
Isambard Kingdom Brunel according to the BBC (BBC 2018) was an engineering giant who was riddled with self-doubt. He was a man with big shoes to fill as the only son of revered French engineer Marc Brunel.
As a project manager, he was a hard taskmaster according to history extra. During the construction of
his project, there were many fatalities from flooding and other industrial catastrophes.
The raconteur
In England, Isambard is as famous for his engineering greatness as he is for his carefully crafted public image. When mentioning Isambard to any English person he will be remembered for his top hat and cigar as much as his inventions. This is not to take anything away from the man. His showmanship and image were important aspects in helping him to network and secure funding for his projects.
The projects:
Clifton Suspension bridge
The Clifton suspension bridge is one of the most iconic in the UK and is a major tourist trap. It was built in 1864 and was design based on plans by Isambard. To find out out more check here.
The Great Western Railway
Isambard was tasked with designing the railway to the West of England from London and whilst he made many innovations and
overcame many obstacles he sparked a “gauge war". Find out more here.
Ships
Even before the completion of the Great Western Railway Isamabard envisioned passage to the Americas. For this purpose, he designed and built three ships which were the largest of their time, the SS Great Britain, SS Great Western and the SS Great Eastern. Find out more here.
Tunnelling
One of Brunel’s most famous works is the tunnel under the Thames in London. Construction ended in 1843 after facing many problems. The tunnel is still in use as part of the London Underground today. Find out more here.
To sum up Isambard Kingdom Brunel is one of the greatest scientists and engineers who is relatively unknown outside of the UK. In the UK he is known as the grandfather of the industrial revolution due to his advancements in steam technology and civil engineering.
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