Fabrication and Erection of Steel Plate Girder Railway Bridges

To be called upon to deliver a Presidential Address to the Institution of Structural Engineers is a high privilege and a considerable responsibility. It is a source of pride and gratitude to find oneself elected by members of one’s chosen calling to the highest honour they can bestow; but at the same time of humility, when one compares the contributions of one’s predecessors to the advancement of the science and art of Structural Engineering with one’s own modest achievements. Perhaps on such an occasion it is permissible to recall the early days of one’s association with the Institution. S.B. Hamilton

This account covers the design, fabrication and testing of a tubular aluminium tower used to carry lighting projectors for the illumination of a marshalling yard at Bienne, Switzerland. It is concerned mainly with those problems encountered in the design and welding of aluminium structures and the behaviour of the erected tower. Cedric Marsh