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Dr Steve Garrity

Senior Lecturer

Steve Garrity has extensive academic experience (former Head of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Bradford, 1997 - 2002) and Hoffman Wood Professor of Architectural Engineering at the University of Leeds (2009 - 22). He is a former chair of the Yorkshire Branch of the IStructE (2003-04), past-President of the International Masonry Society (2013-15), past-chair of the Joint Board of Moderators (2014-17) and an invited professorial member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers between 2012 and 2017. He also gained industrial experience with Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners (Sullom Voe Terminal, Shetland and Jubail Industrial City, KSA), Greater Manchester County Council (County Engineers Bridges Department) and with his own consultancy Garrity Associates working in Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Ireland and the UK. His research has focused mainly on the assessment and rehabilitation of reinforced concrete and masonry structures using surface-mounted fibre composites and stainless steel near-surface mounted reinforcement. He has gained awards from the CIHT (Babtie Premium Award), ICE (Historic Bridge and Infrastructure Award) and the IStructE (Sir Arnold Waters Medal, Cass Hayward Award and the Lewis Kent Award). He is currently a senior lecturer in Structural Engineering at Leeds Beckett University.

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About

Steve Garrity has extensive academic experience (former Head of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Bradford, 1997 - 2002) and Hoffman Wood Professor of Architectural Engineering at the University of Leeds (2009 - 22). He is a former chair of the Yorkshire Branch of the IStructE (2003-04), past-President of the International Masonry Society (2013-15), past-chair of the Joint Board of Moderators (2014-17) and an invited professorial member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers between 2012 and 2017. He also gained industrial experience with Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners (Sullom Voe Terminal, Shetland and Jubail Industrial City, KSA), Greater Manchester County Council (County Engineers Bridges Department) and with his own consultancy Garrity Associates working in Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Ireland and the UK. His research has focused mainly on the assessment and rehabilitation of reinforced concrete and masonry structures using surface-mounted fibre composites and stainless steel near-surface mounted reinforcement. He has gained awards from the CIHT (Babtie Premium Award), ICE (Historic Bridge and Infrastructure Award) and the IStructE (Sir Arnold Waters Medal, Cass Hayward Award and the Lewis Kent Award). He is currently a senior lecturer in Structural Engineering at Leeds Beckett University.

Steve Garrity is a chartered civil, structural and highway engineer (CEng, MICE, FIStructE, FCIHT) with practical experience gained in the UK public and private sectors. He was also, until recently, a chartered building engineer (CBuildE, FCABE). 
Initially working for consu;ting engineers Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners (Sullom Voe Terminal, Jubail Industrial City) then Greater Manchester County Council (bridge design, assessment and supervision of construction). Between 2002 and 2009 Steve ran his own consultancy specialising in structural assessment, repair and strengthening with a particular focus on masonry bridges. He also undertook research into the strengthening and performance enhancement of reinforced concrete and masonry structures (including arches). 
Steve has worked at 3 UK universities as an academic gaining professorial status first in 2007 at the University of Bradford (where he was head of Civil & Environmental Engineering for 5 years) then at the University of Leeds where he held the Hoffman Wood chair in Architectural Engineering between 2009 and 2022. IHe also gained extensive experience of delivering CPD courses in the UK, Brunei, Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. He has specialist knowledge and experience in the condition assessment and rehabilitation of concrete and masonry structures.
Steve has served as an external examiner for MEng, BEng and MSc programmes at Cardiff University, Imperial College London, Liverpool John Moores University, Newcastle University and now University College London. He also examined PhD candidates at several UK universities (including Cardiff, Cambridge, Imperial College London, Manchester, Salford, Sheffield and Surrey).
Steve gained approx 21 years experience of the UK civil engineering accreditation process as a member of the Joint Board of Moderators and/or the JBM panel of moderators. He chaired the JBM between 2014-17. He was also an invited external professorial member of the HKIE accreditation board between 2012 and 2017 and undertook accreditation visits in Hong Kong as recently as 2024.
He served on various panels and committees of the ICE and IStructE and has gained several awards for his work from the CIHT, ICE and IStructE (including the Sir Arnold Waters medal, the Cass Hayward Prize and the Lewis Kent Award). He gained ICE Historic Bridge and Infastructure awards for his work on the rahabilitation of Hungerford Canal Bridge (2004) and St Helena Road Bridge, Bolton (2009).
Steve has provided advice on curriculum design and/or accreditation and assisted with civil engineering subject reviews as an external expert for several UK universities (including UCLan, Glamorgan, Swansea, Salford and Wolverhampton).
Having retired from the University of Leeds on October 2022, Steve returned to full-time employment as senior lecturer in structural engineering at Leeds Beckett University on 1st September 2025, having worked part-time at Leeds Trinity University and the University of Bradford in 2023 and 2024, respectively,

Related links

School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing

LBU strategic research themes

United Nations sustainable development goals

9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Research interests

Structural enhancement and strengthening of concrete and masonry;

Conservation;

Concrete repair and rehabilitation;

Bridges;

Masonry arches;

Inspection, assessment, maintenance and repair of structures and structural systems

Holistic aspects of design

Materials curriculum development across all built environment sectors

Interdisciplinary building design.

Professional activities

IStructE student liaison officer, LBU (past member University of Bradford & University of Leeds)

Past-chair IStructE Yorkshire Branch (2003-04)

Past IStructE membership committee, education committee, application and professional review panel member.

Past IStructE Professional Review interview co-ordinatory (Yorkshire branch/region)

Past member ICE qualifications panel (2014-17)

Invited international professorial member of Hong Kong Institution of Engineers accreditation panel (2012-17).

Pat member of Council of International Masonry Society (2012 - 22)

Past-President, International Masonry Society (2013-15)

Current teaching

Structural Analysis (level 5, HND/BSc/DA/BEng/MEng)

Structural Engineering (level 6 BSc/DA, BEng, MEng);

Structural Engineering and FEM (Advanced Structural Engineering L7 MSc and MEng);

Independent L6 Research Project Supervision (BEng and MEng);

MSc dissertation supervision;

L7 Integrated Design Project supervision (MEng);

Introduction to Structural Analysis and Project Design (ISAPD) (HND, L5 BSc/DA);

Level 4 Civil Engineering Project (Design, construct & test model bridge deck exercise)

Teaching Activities (1)

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Course taught

Advanced Structural Engineering & FEM

01 February 2022

Impact

Co-developer of near-surface mounted reinforcement system for masonry arches (with Bersche-Rolt limited).

Co-designer of strengthening measures for Hungerford Canael Bridge (2002)

Designer of strengtheneing measures for St Helena Road Bridge Bolton (2007-8)

Co-award winner, ICE Histroric Bridge and Infrastructure Aaward, Hungerford Canal Bridge (awarded 2004)

Co-award winner, highly commended, ICE Historic Bridge and Infrastructure award, St Helena Road Bridge Bolton (awarded 2009)

Principal investigator (University of Leeds) EPSRC funded research project (with University of Sheffield and Imperial College London) design, construction, testing and 3-D modelling of filled single span clay brickwork arches subjected to dynamic axle loading (with 15 industry partners) (2017-22)

Delivered CPD training for numerous highway authority/partnership contractors including Oldham MBC, Sheffield City Council, Essex County Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire County Council.

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