John Smeaton | |
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![]() Smeaton, with the Eddystone Lighthouse in the background | |
Born | Austhorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | 8 June 1724
Died | 28 October 1792 Austhorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | (aged 68)
Resting place | St Mary's Church, Whitkirk |
Occupation | Civil engineer |
Awards | Copley Medal (1759) |
John Smeaton FRS (8 June 1724 – 28 October 1792) was an English civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses.[1] He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist. Smeaton was the first self-proclaimed "civil engineer", and is often regarded as the "father of civil engineering".[2] He pioneered the use of hydraulic lime in concrete, using pebbles and powdered brick as aggregate.[3] Smeaton was associated with the Lunar Society.