Almost 50 years a civil designer - much change or an old man's fond memories of "the good old days?"
Tracks
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| Thursday, November 10, 2016 |
| 2:45 PM - 3:15 PM |
| Plaza P7 |
Speaker
Terry McIvor
Retired
Retired
Almost 50 Years a Civil Designer Much change or an old man's fond memories of the "good old days?"
Abstract
Contents
1. The early years as a raw cadet – what was it like?
2. What was a design office like fifty years ago? How did we produce a drawing?
3. The draftsman’s ladder – what was the progression, what were the projects, how did the office evolve?
4. Computer Software – Viva the Revolution!!
5. At the top? What now?
6. Has it become easier with time?
7. What about the engineers?
8. The “twilight years” (‘Mentor ’or ‘take the money and run!!’)
The paper will show by way of photos and description the type of equipment a designer required in 1968 to produce a drawing. It will also compare the way council and the design office was in 1968 to today. The paper will also show the type of work that was undertaken and explore how computer software has changed the ways things are done today. The progression of a designer through the ranks in the 1970’s compared to the way staff progress today will also be described. The relationship between designers and engineers then and now will also be explained. The paper will demonstrate just how much designing has progressed during the past fifty years.
1. The early years as a raw cadet – what was it like?
2. What was a design office like fifty years ago? How did we produce a drawing?
3. The draftsman’s ladder – what was the progression, what were the projects, how did the office evolve?
4. Computer Software – Viva the Revolution!!
5. At the top? What now?
6. Has it become easier with time?
7. What about the engineers?
8. The “twilight years” (‘Mentor ’or ‘take the money and run!!’)
The paper will show by way of photos and description the type of equipment a designer required in 1968 to produce a drawing. It will also compare the way council and the design office was in 1968 to today. The paper will also show the type of work that was undertaken and explore how computer software has changed the ways things are done today. The progression of a designer through the ranks in the 1970’s compared to the way staff progress today will also be described. The relationship between designers and engineers then and now will also be explained. The paper will demonstrate just how much designing has progressed during the past fifty years.
Biography
Terry commenced work at Toowoomba City Council, now Toowoomba Regional Council, straight from high school at aged seventeen in 1968.
He completed a Certificate in Engineering from the DDIAE (Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education) at a time when only one building had been erected at the site that is now the University of Southern Queensland.
The Design Office was a very different set-up to what a design office looks like today. Producing designs and drawings then required a completely different set of skills to what is needed today.
Terry has not spent all his working life in Local Government but has spent ten years working in a consulting engineering practice.
Terry is getting very close to retirement and has been contemplating this paper for some time. He would like to share on how things were when he started work and how things have developed over the years. Have we really come very far? Terry will try to answer that in this presentation.
Terry hopes you enjoy this presentation as much as he did putting it together.
