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Robin Sham

Dr Robin Sham (PhD Civil Engineering 1989) is a

bridge engineer by profession and works as the
Global Long Span and Specialty Bridges Director
at AECOM to build monumental bridges on a
global scale. At a recent reception with President
Alice P. Gast in Hong Kong, Robin appeared on a
panel of eminent alumni to explore some of the
challenges and opportunities presented by the
fast-changing global nancial, engineering,
scienti c and research sectors. We caught up with
him to nd out how his time at Imperial prepared
him for his current role.

Dr Robin Sham (PhD

What did you learn during your time at Imperial,
Civil Engineering
in class or out?       
1989)

“I have an enquiring mind and a tireless quest for

knowledge so in addition to my research in civil
engineering, I often attended classes in other departments, particularly those
in the engineering and computer science disciplines. I also enjoyed evening
lectures delivered by leading Imperial scholars.”

Can you tell us about your studies at Imperial?          

“I delved into the research of arti cial intelligence in conceptual bridge

design.  Decades on, my contemporaries in that era still say in good humour
and with sincerity that they look back with intrigue and sympathy as to why
anyone would have chosen a eld of research as dif cult as mine!”

What is your fondest memory of your time here?        

“My fondest memory of my years at Imperial is the ‘State of the Nation

Address’ with fellow students and researchers, by the coffee machine at Level
2 of the Skempton Building.  We discussed how one day we might change the
world, for the better. We discussed the catalysts for technological
advancement, and also the impediments, particularly in underprivileged
regions of the world. We had the tacit understanding that if we helped one
another, our success would be phenomenal.”

Tell us a bit about the work you’re doing now.            

“I am a bridge engineer by profession, and I work in the design and
construction of landmark bridges as Global Long Span and Speciality Bridges
Director at AECOM. I pursue building monumental bridges on a global scale. In
my work, I cross vast continents in search of new frontiers in bridge
engineering. I feel spurred on when others consider that I have helped in
some way push new boundaries.”

What did you learn at Imperial that has helped you in your career so far?

“The tranquil con dence of a pioneer.”

What have been your career highlights and lowlights?           

“I saw active service in motorway construction in the northwest of England; on

the Second Severn Crossing between England and Wales; and on the Aberfeldy
Bridge in Scotland. My recent work contributed to two of the world’s longest
cable-stayed bridges – the Sutong and the Stonecutters Bridges; the rst long-
span, three-pylon, continuous suspension bridge, the Taizhou Bridge; and one
of the longest sea crossings built in recent history, the Second Penang Bridge.

One of the most memorable highlights was that in 2013, I was fortunate
enough to receive the Institution of Civil Engineers Gold Medal. In that context,
and true to Imperial’s tradition, I followed the footsteps of two of my
Professors, Alec Skempton and John Burland.

As to lowlights, one has to quote Paul Anka ‘Regrets, I have had a few, but then
again, too few to mention’.”

What are your plans for

the future?     

“Years ago I vowed to

build a bridge team
that would be a
formidable force to be
reckoned with on the
international scene.
That has more than
been accomplished.
Now I aspire to lead Dr Robin Sham speaking on a panel of eminent
this team to deliver alumni at a reception in Hong Kong
more ground-breaking
structures. I yearn to
perfect the third generation suspension bridges, and perhaps contribute to
the invention of the fourth generation suspension bridge. I am in search of
 practical and cost-effective means of increasing the limit on cable-stayed
bridge spans – the task list is endless.”

What would be your advice for current students?        

 “The key to success in anything is akin to the key to winning a game of tennis.
The most important element is to anticipate where the ball might drop and
take action before it drops.”

What’s the most dif cult decision you’ve ever had to make?  

“I face very tough decisions all the time. I tackle them by keeping my eyes
rmly on the ball and thinking positively. One has to experience the rough and
tumble, before one achieves the big and stellar.”

What are you most proud of in your life?        

“Being a pilgrim, after John Bunyan, in long span bridge engineering.”

Do you have a favourite quote or saying?       

“We were specially chosen, and lucky to be there”, Richard Feynman, Nobel
Laureate in Physics.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?      

“Inspired by the work of Lord Scarman after the troubles in Brixton and
Toxteth, and later truly appreciating the strength of the multicultural research
community at Imperial, where the best of the best thrive, I have built a diverse
bridge engineering team myself. Diversity heightens the team’s determination
that being the best in the game is not everything, it is the only thing."

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