FITZMAURICE

UNITED KINGDOM (see also List of Individuals)

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11.5.1861 Cloghers/IR - 17.11.1924 London/UK

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Maurice Fitzmaurice graduated in 1883 as a civil engineer from Dublin University. He joined in 1885 Benjamin Baker (1840-1907) in London where he was involved in the construction of the south main pier of the Forth Bridge, comprising the sinking of four caissons by air pressure and the erection of some 18,000 tons of steel work. Fitzmaurice went in the 1890s to Egypt and there joined the works for the Aswan Dam. William Willcocks (1852-1932) had designed the dam and Fitzmaurice served as the resident engineer. In 1898, he arrived at the site to make arrangements for the large staff. In his 1899 paper he noted that “… it was hard to imagine a more desolate spot than the site of the dam, and the tourists who now visit would hardly recognize it.” The works were finished within only five years. For his works on the Aswan Dam Fitzmaurice received the Order of the Mejidieh in 1901.

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After his return to England, Fitzmaurice was appointed chief engineer of the London County Council. During eleven years, he duplicated the London city main drainage, designed the Woolwich Ferry jetties among many other civil engineering works. In 1913, Fitzmaurice joined the firm Coode, Son and Matthews, famous for harbor and dock designs. In collaboration partly with William Matthews (1844-1922) he was involved in the harbors of Dover, Colombo, Singapore and Lagos. During his visit to Australia in 1913, Fitzmaurice gave advice concerning the construction of naval harbors and works. He was created a CMG in 1902, held an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Birmingham and was elected in 1919 a Fellow of the Royal Society. Fitzmaurice presided over the Institution of Civil Engineers ICE in 1916. He was also awarded the Telford and the Watts Medals from the Institution for outstanding contributions to its journal, the Minutes ICE.

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_{Anonymous (1924). Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice. Minutes Institution Civil Engineers 219: 285- 287.}

_{Anonymous (1924). Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice. The Engineer 138: 579-580. P}

_{Anonymous (1925). Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice. Trans. ASCE 88: 1332-1333.}

_{Fitzmaurice, M. (1902). The Nile reservoir, Assuan. Minutes Proc. Institution of Civil Engineers 152(2): 71-107.}

_{Fitzmaurice, M. (1917). Address of the president. Minutes Proc. Institution of Civil Engineers 203(1): 3-32.}

_{Pike, W.T., ed. (1908). Maurice Fitzmaurice. British engineers and allied professions in the}

_{20th century: 220. Pike: Brighton. P}