Issue 3

I think that the general issues raised by the feature are important not only for reinforced concrete construction but also for the future of the whole of British industry. Dr. Beeby’s main plea, I think, is for ‘realistic simplicity’, and I support this completely. Mr. Dennis Cox

Mr Lee: It will be seen that our paper comprises two parts, the first on design and the second on construction. My co-author for Part 2, Mr Al-Bayah, was very much looking forward to being here in person as one of the representatives of the client and to participating in the discussion. Unfortunately pressure of work in Iraq has not permitted him to come to London at this time. He has asked me to express his regrets and to pass on the good wishes of himself and his colleagues in the Government of Iraq who were concerned with the bridge for an interesting evening of technical discussion.

The papers and a summary of the discussion of the 1984 IABSE Henderson colloquium on liability will be printed and available for purchase shortly. However, to present the major conclusions and problems identified in this IABSE colloquium to a much wider spectrum of professionals within the construction industry, for the purpose of delineating positive steps for reform, a 1-day symposium will be held jointly by the Institution of Structural Engineers and the International Association for Bridge & Structural Engineering on 29 May 1985, further details of which will be published shortly. In the meantime, Alec Sandberg summarises the main points discussed, conclusions reached, and problems identified. A.C.E. Sandberg

Buckling is usually associated with slender structures of stiff materials, such as steel and aluminium. This paper aim to show that it occurs, also, in foundation engineering and soil mechanics. Foundations and soil samples of relatively robust dimensions can be vulnerable to buckling when deformations are large, i.e. when the stiffness of the soil is low. E.C. Hambly

This paper describes research on dynamic behaviour of conveyances and mineshaft steelwork. A description is given of the system used for measuring and analysing accelerations and wheel loads in 13 shafts, as well as the simplified theoretical model developed for predicting this behaviour. Results are given of both the measurements and the theoretical predictions, and the relevance of different design parameters is discussed. A tentative design formulation is proposed which includes the most important variables for shafts where resonance does not occur. Factors influencing dynamic magnification are also discussed. G.J. Krige, Professor A.R. Kemp, B. Alport and M. Fotopoulos

The paper describes the development of the design of Kylesku Bridge as a sequence of design studies and decisions, from studies of the location of the new bridge and of different types of structure to final design. The new bridge is a frame with V-shaped supports. It is built in concrete and the deck is a box girder that is prestressed. The bridge was designed to be built in stages and within constraints that were specified in the contract documents. J. Nissen, K. Falbe-Hansen and H.S. Stears

Microcomputers It is now nearly a year since Mr B. C. Bird asked his question about frame analysis programs for the 48K Spectrum. Since then we have had a substantial response from our readers, drawing attention to programs and problems associated with their use. This month we have three more letters. Mr K. Tregear, writing from Nizwa in the Sultanate of Oman, says that he was most interested to read, in the December issue, of the approach by Mr Bradfeld to the design of rectangular beams and slabs in accordance with the CP 110 idealised stress block.