Correspondence on The Longitudinal Bending Behaviour of Composite Box Girder Bridges Having Incomple

The parameters affecting the ultimate shear capacity of two-bay prototype beams have been examined using dimensional analysis; in particular, the importance of web slenderness and flange stiffness has been demonstrated. Design charts, which take into account the postbuckling behaviour of the web, have been proposed for beams having a clear web depth up to 600 mm. Values taken from the charts indicate that the current design procedure for beams with slender webs grossly underestimates their shear capacity. B.O. Hilson and P.D. Rodd

This month's letters include the answer to a two-year-old mystery wall query and the Venezuela earthquake and the role of no-fines concrete.

The building control regime in Scotland provides a level of rigour that Victoria Tinney finds reassuring; two years since establishing her own practice in Glasgow, she talks to Helena Russell about the Scottish building warrant system and the power of sketching.