AS a very humble member of the great architectural profession, in addressing a few words to them upon the subject of the Institution of Structural Engineers, of which important body Sir Chas. declared that he had the honour to be one of the Vice-Presidents and in the presence of his respected President, he claimed with justifiable pride, that the architect was, in fact, the very earliest structural engineer mentioned in the history of the world. Sir Charles T. Ruthen
Pile Coffering The Pont du Val Benoit, Liege, is a long stone bridge of five arches supported on four piers and two abutments, the footings of which, in poor soil, are anchored by means of a series of wooden piles, the heads of which project into the masonry. It was found, however, that the stream, especially at periodical flood time, produced disturbing scour, which was undermining the bridge supports. To remedy this, these supports have been enclosed in a type of cofferdam carried out thus : Reinforced concrete piles were moulded, 12 in. by 12 in. and 25 yd. long, which were driven close together round the footings, with a slight inward inclination. Owing to the unevenness of the ground a rather irregular enclosure was formed, but where the breach was considerable, the opening was blocked with flat bags of cement. - Le Constructeur de Ciment Armé. No. 56, 1924.
One of the most versatile and utilitarian buliding products developed in America during the last fifteen years is the concrete stave. This unit is in reality a small flat slab, usually about 30 inches long, 10 to 14 inches wide and 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches thick, but it is known as a stave because it is laid up end on end, usually on construction such as tanks, where it replaces the wood stave. A.J.R. Curtis
As announced in our last issue we propose, in conjunction with the Bennett College, Sheffield, to publish each month a simple problem in Graphic Statics, for the best solution of which the Governor of the Bennett College will award a prize of 10s. In allotting points, neatness will receive the same consideration as accuracy.
Unlike the great exhibition of 1851, where a colossal experiment in constructional engineering in glass and iron reacted upon the building methods of the whole civilised world, the far larger exhibition at Wembley is in some respects less ambitious and clings fairly closely to the normal methods of design and construcfion. Colour is also lacking, and the British Empire Exhibition is probably the first in which the principal palaces have been left in the unpalatial and retiring hue of dingy grey. Adequate performance of function should take precedence over artistic presentation, and the vast crowds at Wembley view the exhibits in reasonable comfort. W. Harvey
V.-CONCRETES AT BASIC WATER CONTENT. Several tests were made at basic water content using 25 F.A. mixed in three proportions, the ratios of cement to mixed aggregate by bulk being approximately 1:8, 1:5, and 1:2 1/2 or 3. J. Singleton-Green