By Chris Harrowell
Among the high achieving east Aucklanders to feature in this year鈥檚 King鈥檚 Birthday Honours List is a professor of civil engineering who鈥檚 an internationally recognised authority in the field.
Mellons Bay resident Charles Clifton, who teaches at the University of Auckland, has been named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to structural engineering.
He says he was 鈥渢otally surprised鈥 to learn he was receiving the honour.
鈥淚 got an email from the Government, from the honours office.
鈥淚 thought, 鈥榳hat is this about?鈥 I was utterly astonished. It discombobulated me to the point I sort of couldn鈥檛 think straight for a while afterwards.
鈥淚t was such an incredibly pleasant surprise. I was extremely proud of it, not just for me.
鈥淚t represents the achievement for the whole industry and profession.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud of it both for me and for the opportunities it鈥檚 created for thousands of people over the years.鈥
The honours citation states Clifton is an internationally recognised authority on the structural and fire response of multi-storey steel framed buildings and their construction.
As structural engineer at HERA (Heavy Engineering Research Association) in Auckland from 1983-2007, he established the structural steel service at a time when the use of steel in multi-level buildings was almost non-existent.
鈥淗e鈥檚 made significant contributions to standards, guidelines and research programme development in the steel industry.
鈥淗is focus has been on making steel-framed buildings not just safe during seismic events but also durable to make structures reusable.
鈥淔rom his innovations, notably the sliding hinge joint, buildings can remain serviceable and not require demolition following a seismic event.鈥
A sliding joint concept Clifton developed is used extensively nationally and internationally.
鈥淗is contributions have been significant in the rise in use of steel in high-rise structures, with the majority of Canterbury rebuild structures utilising steel frames.
鈥淗e helped form what is now Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ).
鈥淧rofessor Clifton has had a role on the Expert Advisory Group to the NIST National Fire Research Laboratory in Washington, United States, is widely published, and a sought-after international presenter and visiting professor.鈥
The Times asked Clifton what it is about steel and the industry that鈥檚 kept him so interested in it.
鈥淛ust the fascination with what you can do with the material and how versatile it is,鈥 he says.
鈥淗ow well you use it on its own and in combination with concrete and now increasingly with timber.
鈥淎lso, the growth of the industry and of organisations like HERA and SCNZ (Steel Construction New Zealand) to support its use.
鈥淭he universities with research, and the industry itself, which has grown from relatively small in 1983, apart from the dedicated mechanical engineers, to now a group of companies the largest of which are amongst the world leaders in terms of their technology and skills and capability.鈥
Clifton is grateful to numerous people in the industry who have helped him along the way, but on a more personal note he wants to thank his wife Linda Clifton, who many locals will know from her role as a volunteer with Citizens Advice Bureau Pakuranga-Eastern Manukau.
鈥淚 also want to really thank my beloved Linda,鈥 he says.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been with me through all of this from a long time ago, since 1978.
鈥淎nd our daughter Emma and also my beloved son in law, Shahab Ramhormozian, who our daughter is married to, who鈥檚 an associate professor at AUT University and was one of my PhD students.鈥