The Chairman: ' This is a most unusual subject. It is not often that we get this far away from structural engineering. Nevertheless, it is a very important subject not only to us but to the whole of our friends in the construction industry. I have read the paper twice. That does not mean to say that the first time I read it I did not fully understand it. It means that I came to the conclusion that there was much more in what you did not say than what you did say, Mr. Lowe. In other words there was a great deal more between the lines than in black and white. '
Mr. Robert Struthers: 'As the Director of Works concerned I am very grateful of the chance to open this discussion. I am even more grateful at being given the chance as a member of another Institution. The project, and its authors, are well known to me, and while I have been intimately connected with the evolution of the work, and of the paper, I must congratulate the authors on the brevity, clarity and logic of their presentation.'
Mr. L.G. Simms (Building Research Station) : ' This paper is very welcome because I do not think we have had one at the Institution on reinforced brickwork for some 25 years. The first thing I do when I read a paper on brickwork is to look at the materials used to see if they are reasonably compatible. My own experience is that it is not always possible to get the materials one would like for a test project and I would say that this is the reason why we see a 17,000 lb/in.2 brick coupled with a 500 lb/in.2 mortar for the A-l box specimens. '
Under the Chairmanship of the President the discussion was opened by Mr. L. R. Creasy (Hon. Secretary), Mr. F. R. Bullen (Past President) and Mr. T. N. W. Akroyd (Member of Council). This discussion took place against the background of the note that appeared in The Structural Engineer, January, 1968, p. 3.