THE AMAZING ENGINEERING OF THE PANAMA CANAL
Following on from the successful talks on the history of the Panama Canal last autumn, this non- technical lecture looks at how the canal and its crossings work as engineering structures.
The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 marked the end of 35 years of construction and was rightly hailed as an amazing engineering achievement. It correctly solved several complex engineering problems not least of which were crossing the continental divide and ensuring a regular and manageable supply of water. These provided engineers with further challenges both in the 1930’s with increased canal usage and in recent years, with the ever increasing size of shipping, leading to the Canal Expansion project.
Andrew Roberts is a Chartered Engineer and a graduate of the University of Southampton where he studied Civil Engineering. In mid-life, he returned to the classroom and studied for an MBA. Now retired, he divides his time between homes in Alhaurin de la Torre and Hertfordshire and lecturing on cruise ships.