Adrian Long

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Adrian Long
OBE
Born(1941-04-15)15 April 1941
Dungannon, Northern Ireland
Died23 April 2022(2022-04-23) (aged 81)
Dundonald, Northern Ireland
Alma materQueen's University Belfast (BSc, PhD)
SpouseElaine Long
Children
FamilyNaomi Long (daughter-in-law)
Engineering career
DisciplineCivil, structural
InstitutionsQueen's University Belfast
Institution of Civil Engineers (president)
Significant designFlexiArch
AwardsICE Gold Medal

Adrian Ernest Long OBE (15 April 1941 – 23 April 2022) was a civil engineer from Northern Ireland. A professor at Queen's University Belfast, he had a particular interest in concrete structures and patented FlexiArch, a pre-cast concrete arch product. He served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers for 2002–03, the first Northern Irish engineer to do so.

Biography[edit]

Long was born on 15 April 1941 in Dungannon, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.[1][2] He stated that he came from a carpentry and blacksmithing background.[3]

In 1959, Long entered Queen's University Belfast (QUB) to study civil engineering. He graduated with first class honours and then took a PhD at Queens.[4] In 1967, he moved to Canada, working as bridge designer for Fenco Engineering in Toronto.[4]

However, he spent only a year in Canada, returning to Belfast in 1968 to become an associate professor of civil engineering at Queen's University Belfast (QUB).[4] In 1976, he was promoted to a full professorship.[5] His work was largely in the field of concrete structures, particularly in chloride resistance, maintenance problems and arch bridge structures.[6] Long published 20 papers in journals managed by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and won eight of the institution's medals for these, including the ICE Gold Medal.[7]

By 2002 Long was appointed dean of the faculty of engineering at QUB.[5] In November of that year he was appointed president of the ICE for the 2002–2003 session; the first Northern Irish person to hold that position.[5][8] Long was also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and of the Institute for the Advancement of Engineering.[3]

Long was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2006 New Year Honours for services to higher education and civil engineering.[9] He resigned as professor at QUB in 2006 but remained there as an emeritus professor in the School of Natural and Built Environment.[6][7] Since 2015, the ICE Northern Ireland awards the Adrian Long medal to the best paper in an ICE journal to be authored by a Northern Ireland member. The medal features a bust of Long.[7]

Long was married to Elaine and had two children, Michael and Alison.[10] Michael served as the 80th Lord Mayor of Belfast from 9 May to 1 June 2022.[11] He also served as High Sheriff of Belfast in 2021 and served on Belfast City Council since 2001, where he was the Alliance group leader from 2015 to 2021.[12] He is married to Alliance Party leader and justice minister Naomi Long.[11]

Long died at the Ulster Hospital on 23 April 2022, at the age of 81.[13]

FlexiArch[edit]

A FlexiArch bridge constructed adjacent to an existing structure in Soundwell, Gloucestershire

From 1997 Long worked on the FlexiArch, a pre-cast concrete arch in which the individual voussoirs are joined by a flexible polymeric membrane.[14][15] The arch arrives to site flat packed and when lifted into position by a crane the gaps between the voussoirs close under gravity and form the correct arch profile. Long patented the product, which is produced by Irish pre-cast manufacturer Macrete, in 2004.[15] The product can be constructed within a day and, containing no corrodable elements, has been stated to have a design lifespan of 300 years.[15] More than 50 FlexiArch bridges have been constructed in the UK and Ireland and spans up to 30m are possible.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Long, Prof. Adrian Ernest". WHO WAS WHO 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  2. ^ Masterton, Gordon (2005), ICE Presidential Address, archived from the original on 3 January 2011, retrieved 3 February 2020
  3. ^ a b "Annual Dinner & Conference Proceedings 2015". ARCHES – Attractive Alternatives. Concrete Bridge Development Group. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Smith, Claire (27 April 2022). "Obituary: Former ICE president Adrian Long 1941–2022". New Civil Engineer. London. ISSN 0307-7683. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "NEWS IN BRIEF: Professor Adrian Long". New Civil Engineer. London. 10 January 2002. ISSN 0307-7683. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Adrian Long". Queen's University Belfast. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  7. ^ a b c McKibbin, Lilly (12 July 2015). "Professor Long medal encourages Northern Ireland experts to share their knowledge". Institution of Civil Engineers. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Humanitarian needs highlighted". The Irish Times. Dublin. 11 April 2003. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  9. ^ "No. 57855". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2005. p. 11.
  10. ^ "Tribute to Emeritus Professor Adrian Long". Queen's University Belfast. 16 February 2016. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  11. ^ a b Simpson, Mark (9 May 2022). "Alliance: Michael Long makes history as three-week mayor". BBC News. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  12. ^ McConville, Marie Louise (16 January 2021). "Alliance councillor Michael Long appointed new High Sheriff of Belfast". The Irish News. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  13. ^ Lynch, Connor (24 April 2022). "Tributes paid to father of Alliance councillor Michael Long". BelfastLive. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  14. ^ a b Crawford, Mark (6 August 2015). "A Precast Masonry Arch Bridge that Lasts Centuries". American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  15. ^ a b c "The Longest Flat-Packed Bridge". Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. Materials World magazine. 1 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
November 2002 – November 2003 		Succeeded by
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