Any paper which encourages the adoption of better methods in routine site investigations is to be welcomed, and Mr. Thorburn should be congratulated for drawing attention to the use of the static penetration test in the design of driven piles. J. Billam
Mr. H.B. Gould (F) : Mr. President, we have heard an introduction to a very interesting paper. It occurs to me that in saying that the Institution would not wish to block the entrance of technicians into the professional side, Mr. Severn describes a position that the people concerned may not agree with. I am thinking here of people who, for example, were left outside in the cold when the regulations changed in 1973-people who were quite near to qualification. They may, for example, have taken and failed the Institution's final examination. They found then that to achieve chartered status it was necessary for them to start at university or polytechnics without any credit for the work they had done at the technician stage.
In this paper, to which the architects have kindly contributed descriptive matter, the authors describe the philosophy and the process by which the engineering works were evolved to accord with the architecture. The emphasis throughout is on integration of engineering aspects within a framework of performance requirements. The organisation of the design and related contractual aspects are touched upon. Detailed design and detailing of much of the reinforced concrete was by computer. The adequacy of bond between galvanised reinforcement and concrete containing white cement was established by tests. Structural movement is considered in relation to the detailed design of the building fabric and to noise and perceived vibration. Anti-flotation measures, both temporary andpermanent, are described. There are references to the air-conditioning systems, related problems of climatic control, and model tests which enabled satisfactory air distribution patterns to be achieved in the auditoria. A.R. Flint and J.A. Neill
I shall speak to you today from my own experience and my own conviction. Lest you should think this unduly selfcentred I must say in self-defence that my own working life has, to my own great good fortune, coincided first with the end of colonialism and then with the first steps in a new internationalism. I almost said one foot in the old world and one in the new. The Rt. Hon. Lord Caradon
An investigation of the ability of civil engineering students to understand the basic behaviour of structures is described. The study is based on two tests, each consisting of a number of two-dimensional structures. The candidate is required to draw the approximate bending moment diagrams. The results of tests on a number of student groups are presented and discussed. Based on these results, the authors conclude that the ability of the average student is less than should be expected. D.M. Brohn and J. Cowan
We have a request from Mr. K. T. John (M) written from Nairobi : I am currently engaged in the design of several large reservoirs for water schemes in various parts of Africa. Economy and ease of construction is extremely important as many of the sites are in remote areas and the labour is relatively unskilled. Verulam