The Torsional Stiffness of Structural Sections

Mr. G.M. McLaren (Vice-president), proposing a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Rondy for his paper, said he had been somewhat surprised at first to be asked to propose it because, after all, at his time of life one might have a feeling of prejudice about welding. But, particularly having regard to experience during the war, much of the earlier prejudice had disappeared; and engineers had to thank the shipbuilding people for a great deal of the progress that had been made. Prefabrication by welding had been brought into the heavier structural work, and a great deal of experience had been gained; but considerable investigations and advances had yet to be made in connection with the lighter structures. Troubles were experienced in welding the lighter type of structures, particularly in relation to the temperatures involved and the areas of the members being welded; considerable distortions occurred, in spite of all the precautions one could take. But for the heavier structures there was no doubt that welded construction had come to take first place in design.

The Council have appointed Mr. G. Henderson (Member) to be the Institution’s representative in the British West Indies, for a period of five years.

In his design data notes on the properties of rolled steel joists, published in the current issue of The Structurul Engineer,* Dr. Gottfeldt raises the question of the criterion of elastic breakdown in the web of a mild steel beam.