Dr John Plowman - 100th birthday
Dr John Plowman, author of numerous research papers on concrete, celebrated his 100th birthday on 27th November 2024.
John graduated with a degree in Engineering from the City & Guilds College Association (CGCA) in 1945. He then served in the Corps of Royal Engineers, rising to the rank of Captain.
His first job after leaving the army involved the construction of a new gas works, which inspired him to pursue a career in Civil Engineering. He went back to university to complete a Master’s degree and then a Doctorate in Concrete Technology at Imperial College London.
John’s enthusiasm for academia led him to become a lecturer at Kings College London, where he could devote half his time to teaching and the other half to concrete research. John had multiple research papers published in the Magazine of Concrete Research between 1954 and 1965, totally 14 citations. After leaving academia, he closed out his career as a highly regarded consultant.
Besides concrete, John has a life-long passion for mechanical clocks, the older the better. He was the editor of the British Horological Society Journal from 1978 to 1986 and over the years has collected and worked on many antique long case clocks.
- CORRESPONDENCE. THE VARIABILITY OF CONCRETE AND ITS EFFECT ON MIX DESIGN. F R HIMSWORTH, L BOYD MERCER, P J F WRIGHT, J M PLOWMAN Nov 1954 Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers
- MEASUREMENT OF STRESS IN CONCRETE BEAM REINFORCEMENT. J M PLOWMAN Jun 1963 Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers
- The workability of vibrated concrete. J. M. Plowman Mar 1954 Magazine of Concrete Research
- Maturity and the strength of concrete. J. M. Plowman Mar 1956 Magazine of Concrete Research
- The relation between bond strength and maturity for ordinary Portland cement concrete. J. M. Plowman Aug 1957 Magazine of Concrete Research
- Discussion: The influence of amplitude and frequency in the compaction of concrete by table vibration. A. R. Cusens, A. G. A. Saul, J. M. Plowman Mar 1959 Magazine of Concrete Research
- Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of concrete cured at various humidities. J. M. Plowman Jul 1963 Magazine of Concrete Research
- Discussion: Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of concrete cured at various humidities. J. M. Plowman, O. Ishai Dec 1964 Magazine of Concrete Research
- Discussion: A new method of proportioning stirrups in reinforced concrete beams. R. Taylor, J. M. Plowman Dec 1964 Magazine of Concrete Research
- Discussion: Some aspects of methods for measuring consistence. Sándor Popovics, J. M. Plowman, K. Komlos Dec 1965 Magazine of Concrete Research