Today I'm excited to be joined by Bruce Hamersley, Principal Engineer and owner of Basis Engineering Ltd based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Bruce is a structural engineer with over 37 years of global bridge design experience with a strong background in soil-structure interaction, and innovative construction engineering solutions.
Bruce has contributed numerous technical papers to the bridge engineering field and was recognized in 2019 with a prestigious Fellowship from Engineers Canada for his outstanding professional contributions.
He has also had a profound impact on my own career. Bruce gave me my first engineering job, back in 2011. I was fresh out of university, brimming with enthusiasm but hilariously deficient in terms of practical engineering experience. His mentorship opened doors to global engineering adventures that expanded my horizons and shaped my career trajectory.
The importance of keeping an open mind in all aspects of engineering was a key lesson I learned from Bruce. You can never know it all.
Over his career, Bruce has worked on major global projects including highway and railway bridges, seismic retrofitting of bridges, and creative construction methods like the innovative launching system used on the Vedder Road Bridge project, the world’s first kingpost launching system for a Tied Arch.
His portfolio includes landmark projects like the Queensferry Crossing cable-stayed bridge - at opening it was the longest triple tower cable-stayed bridge in the world, the Oakland Bay Bridge (San Francisco, USA), The Lions Gate Bridge (Vancouver, BC) and a broad variety of projects in the industrial, marine and energy sectors.
In this episode, Bruce shares his perspectives gained over decades of experience on topics including:
Engineering philosophy
Problem-solving strategies
Mentoring young talent
Iconic project stories
AI in bridge design
Bruce is a fantastic mentor and a true innovator in the field. I'm grateful he took a chance on me those many years ago, and I'm delighted to have him on the podcast to discuss his invaluable insights.
See you in the next one!
James 🌊
#028 - Flocode Podcast | 006 - Bruce Hamersley - BASIS Engineering