Margaret Law facts for kids

Margaret Law (born 1928, died 2017) was a brilliant British engineer. She was a leader in understanding fire and making buildings safe from it. People called her one of the best fire scientists in the world. In 1971, she made history by becoming the first woman to join the Institution of Fire Engineers. She was known for using strong technical knowledge to design safe buildings.

Early Life and Education

Margaret Law was born in London, England. She went to the University of London. There, she earned a special degree called a BSc. She studied both physics and mathematics. Margaret married James Peter Morris in 1974. She passed away at her home in London on August 27, 2017, when she was 88 years old.

Her Work in Fire Safety

Margaret Law joined the UK government's Fire Research Station in 1952. This place later became part of the Building Research Establishment. For 20 years, she worked on many different research projects. Her work covered everything from small fires in homes, like cooker fires in caravans, to big concerns about how nuclear radiation could start fires.

She was very interested in how fires begin and spread in tall buildings. She also studied how much heat fires give off. Her research helped decide how far apart buildings needed to be to stop fires from spreading. Later, she worked for the Department of the Environment. Here, she helped decide which building and construction research was most important.

Joining Ove Arup & Partners

In 1974, Margaret Law joined a company called Ove Arup & Partners. She became a special adviser on fire engineering for their projects. She helped start Arup's Fire Engineering team with Turlogh O’Brien.

Margaret was especially famous for her work on how steel structures behave in a fire. The methods she developed are still used today. They help engineers design safe buildings in the UK, Europe, and the United States. She retired from her full-time role at the end of 1990. After that, she continued to work as a consultant for Ove Arup Partnership until 2002. To honor her amazing work, a book of her papers was published. A second edition came out after she passed away.

Changing Building Rules

Margaret Law's research changed many modern building rules. It also improved design guides and codes of practice. She was part of many national and international groups focused on fire safety. In 1987, she was a visiting researcher at the Tokyo University of Science. She also became a Visiting Professor at the University of Greenwich in 1997. In the UK, she played a big part in helping fire engineers become officially recognized professionals.

Important Projects

During her career, Margaret Law helped create fire safety plans for many famous buildings. These include:

• The Pompidou Centre in Paris (1977)
• Lord’s Cricket Ground (1987)
• The Lloyd’s Building (1978)
• The Stansted Airport Terminal (1986)
• Kansai International Airport in Japan (1994)

She also helped with the investigation into the 1985 fire at Bradford City Stadium. This terrible event led to new safety rules for sports stadiums in the UK. One important change was banning wooden grandstands.

Awards and Recognition

Margaret Law received several awards from different countries. In 1993, she was given an MBE for her great work in fire safety. In 1994, she received the Arthur B. Guise Medal from the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE).

In 2018, the SFPE created the Margaret Law Award. This award recognizes people who have made big advances in making buildings safe from fire. It helps keep her important work and legacy alive.

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