Correspondence

The last ordinary general meeting of the Institution of Structural Engineers, for the 1923-24 session, was held at Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, S.W.1, on Thursday, May 22, 1924. The President (Major James Petrie, O.B.E., M.Inst.T., etc.), occupied the Chair, and a paper on “Economics in Concrete,” by Mr. B. Price Davies, F.S.I., M.S.A., M.R.San;I.,A.M.T.P.L., A.I.Struct.E., was read, and the following discussion ensued.

In recent years structural steelwork and reinforced concrete have progressed upon somewhat parallel lines, and comparatively little has been done in combining the two methods of construction. This is probably due to the fact that the two methods of construction have been regarded as competitors, and the specialists in each of the methods have concentrated upon demonstrating the advantages of the one compared with those of the other. Ewart S. Andrews

AT the present time there are so many varieties of roof coverings on the market from which to choose, that it has become a problem for the discerning architect or engineer to decide definitely upon which class of roof covering to specify for the building he may have under consideration. This is a much more important item in building construction than seems to be generally recognised, and one to be decided early, as the type of covering to be used has an influence, not only on the roof design, but on the whole supporting structure. A new roofing, however efficient and economical in actual use it may be, does not always appeal immediately to the conservative architect or engineer. He probably has had experiences, or is profiting by the experiences of others who have been carried away by the verbosity of the salesman to his ultimate disillusionment. The architect and engineer must be satisfied that the material he proposes to employ on his roof is the most efficient and economical he can procure, that it will be suitable for his purpose, and that, when in use, it will be a lasting credit to himself and satisfactory to his client.