RENNIE

UNITED KINGDOM (see also List of Individuals)

\

7.6.1761 Phantassie/UK - 4.10.1821 London/UK

\

John Rennie had talents in both mathematics and engineering. As a boy already, he designed mills in collaboration with a Scottish professional. Rennie made studies at University of Edinburgh from 1780 thereby concentrating in mechanics. In 1783 he moved to Birmingham and became a collaborator of James Watt; he there learned how to work in metal and he continued to develop machinery powered by steam engines manufactured with Watt. From 1789 Rennie had also begun to design and supervise civil engineering projects. His first works were canals, notable the Lancaster Canal completed in 1803 or the Royal Military Canal built from 1804 to 1809.

\

Rennie was also involved in the drainage works of the Norfolk Fens. The latter were begun as a small scheme to avoid local flooding, but Rennie recognized that what was really needed was the deepening of the common main channel leading to the sea. In his words "any boy playing at dirt pies in a gutter knows that if you make an opening sufficiently low to let the water escape, it will flow away." Meanwhile, Rennie acquired experience as a bridge designer using stone and cast iron to produce bridges with daringly wide arches. The London Bridge completed in 1831 became too small in the 1960s and was shipped to Lake Havasu City AZ and built into a new bridge there in 1971. Rennie's largest works were docks and harbors for commercial purposes including the London Docks built from 1801 to 1821. These civil engineering projects marked the beginning of the century of world domination by the British Empire. The works included the great breakwaters in Plymouth where 3.5 millions tons of stone had been placed on the seabed according to Rennie's specifications, to become one of the best harbors worldwide. Rennie therefore was one of the greatest civil engineers of his era. His daring pioneering use of materials combined with the soundness of his technical and commercial judgments mark him out as almost unique.

\

_{Boucher, C.T.G. (1963). John Rennie: The life and work of a great engineer. University Press: Manchester. P}

_{Burton, A. (1981). John Rennie. The canal builders: 87. David&Charles: London. P}

_{Derry, T.K. (1975). John Rennie. Scienziati e tecnologi 3: 31-33. Mondadori: Milano. P}

_{Rennie, J. (1800). Report concerning the drainage of Wildmore Fen and of the East and West Fens. London.}

_{Rennie, J., Walker, R. (1811). Plan and estimate upon the practicability of making a canal from Canterbury to St. Nicholas' Bay. Cowtan&Colegate: Canterbury.}