Brian Solan is a lecturer in Foundation Engineering at The School of The Built Environment (Ulster University). He was born in Co Louth and commenced his studies in Civil Engineering at the Regional Technical Collage Dundalk (now Institute of Technology) in 1986, thereafter he attended Queen's University of Belfast where he graduated in June 1991 with a BEng Honours (1st Class) and then a PhD is structural engineering in 1996.In August of the previous year (1995), he commenced working in the Ballymena Division of the Department of Regional Development Roads Service (RS) as a Highways Engineer for 16.5 years.   While with RS, he specialised in the areas of foundation engineering, geotechnical assessment, pavement design, and bridge substructure design.  He is currently a member of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland and a graduate member of the Institution of Structural Engineers.His research interests include, working platform design, Traffic Loading of infrastructure structures, the new Eurocode 7 and the impact of extreme weather flooding on the stability of historic arch structures.  He is currently the holder of a Royal Society Travel Scholarship to the University of Colorado for collaborative work with Professor Robert Ettema.