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Episode 3

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Published on:

9th Jun 2026

Chris Ball, Sam Hobbs - IStructE Chartership; how to achieve MIStructE

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This episode is all about Chartership with the IStructE, and in particular the process of gaining full membership (MIStructE). The application and in particular the exam is infamously challenging but equally hugely beneficial to your professional development and directly applicable to your every day if you are involved in technical design work. We hope to encourage potential candidates by sharing the details of the tried and tested approach to preparation that greatly improves your chances of success.

My guests on this episode are Chris Ball and Sam Hobbs. Chris is an Associate Director and Sam an Associate (Engineer) in the Structures department of Tony Gee and Partners LLP, both talented and experienced engineers with a strong technical focus and a wealth of knowledge to share. We all sat and successfully passed the IStructE professional review in January 2020 at first attempt, and we put a significant part of that success down to the careful preparation technique we followed, as well as the support we were able to offer each other by preparing together. The conversation to some extent focuses on the 'Bridge Question' in the exam, as that is where our combined experience lies. However, there are many valuable and directly transferable lessons shared.

There are links below to the main resources mentioned in the episode:

  • Sam's Website - www.thebridgequestion.org | Contact: sam.hobbs@tonygee.com
  • IStructE Technical Guidance Notes - https://www.emerald.com/books/book/19082/ICE-Manual-of-Bridge-Engineering
  • ICE Manual of Bridge Engineering - https://www.emerald.com/books/book/19082/ICE-Manual-of-Bridge-Engineering
  • SCI Bridges Initial Design - https://steelconstruction.info/Bridges_-_initial_design

If you think you, or someone you know might make a great guest on the show please contact me through the contact form on my website or using the link below:

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About the Podcast

TalkCivils
Talking to the remarkable people that do Civil Engineering
TalkCivils is a primarily interview based podcast that explores all aspects of the hugely varied and exciting world of Civil Engineering. There is something for everyone from conversations about career paths to advice on professional development, project spotlights to discussions on national strategy, deep dives on technical topics to reviews of industry trends and emerging technology, and anything else that catches our interest along the way.

Join me as I talk to some of the remarkable people that enable this industry to provide and maintain the infrastructure that brings individuals and communities together into thriving civilisations.
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About your host

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Nicholas Lake

I'm an Associate (Engineer) at Tony Gee and Partners LLP, and passionate about Civil Engineering and the small role each of us can play in shaping the society we live in, oh and we get to play with some big toys! I was fortunate to be sponsored as an undergraduate and went on to join the Structures department full time after graduation from Imperial College with a Masters Degree (MEng ACGI) in Civil Engineering. I achieved Chartered Membership of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2020 (CEng MIStructE) and followed up with Chartered Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2026 (CEng MICE).

I have been team lead for design, checking, and assessment of permanent and temporary works for steel, concrete, and composite bridges, jacked boxes, gantries, and various other heavy civils structures. I've got particular experience in finite element analysis including buckling and dynamic analysis of structures, and modelling of structures on hydraulic support systems. My involvement with numerous successful bridge launch, move, and slide schemes has also included site support and supervision. As part of my professional training, I spent 12 months on site (2016-2017) seconded to Hochtief UK Construction where I worked on a new road over rail bridge scheme to replace the infamous Ufton Nervet Level Crossing, and then moved to a large motorway junction improvement scheme.

My primary attraction to Civil Engineering is the technical challenge of design and how these solutions can be practically, efficiently, and safely constructed. Alongside this, I take a keen interest in how we build and support exceptional teams that can deliver technical excellence. I firmly believe that this starts with great communication.