Composite Design of First City Tower, Houston, Texas

CP3: Chapter V: Part 2: 1972 A letter from Mr D. J, Ascough covered a number of points that have been aired in previous issues. In June 1982 this column set out three of the examples he presented to show that it is possible to build an unsafe building and comply with traditional Codes of Practice. His fourth example was set out thus: Although by no means as serious as the previous examples, the discrepancies in CP 3: ChV: 1972 deserve wider publicity. Depending on whether they are obtained from Table 10 or are taken as the aggregate of Cpe from Table 7, the wind forces used for the design of a frame can vary by 20 % without extrapolation, and more if Table 7 values are extrapolated. This is an unsatisfactory state of affairs! Are designs based on Table 7 unsafe, or those on Table 10 ultraconservative? Verulam

Surface transport systems are big users of land. The exclusive use of land for transport in urban areas can create large, sterile spaces and yet this land is potentially very valuable. The construction of the mass transit railway in Hong Kong has provided a number of opportunities for integrated development. This paper describes such a development at Tsuen Wan where a township of 20 000 people was established above the maintenance workshops and stabling yards of the mass transit railway. The initial planning concept is described and details are given of the design and construction of the main depot building and the residential tower blocks. In particular, details are given of the wind tunnel test carried out on the superstructure, and the structural analysis of the reinforced concrete shear wall structures of the residential blocks. John Burrows and David Croft John Burrows and David Croft

Clifford Evans, Senior Partner, Wallace Evans & Partners, Consulting Engineers (based in Penarth, South Wales, and with offices, also, in London, North Wales, Scotland, Jamaica, Hong Kong and the Middle East), will succeed Tom Akroyd as President of the Institution 1982-83. The changeover comes on Thursday 7 October 1982 when, at an Ordinary Meeting at 11 Upper Belgrave Street, London SWlX SBH, at 6pm, Mr Evans will give his Presidential Address ‘Structural engineering- what and whither?’. The full text will appear in The Structural Engineer, December 1982.