Specifications are currently being developed to minimise the risk of cracking due to ASR at a time when there are widespread misunderstandings of the reaction, its diagnosis, and its effects on structural performance. These topics are discussed in this article. D.W. Hobbs
An international conference on the ‘Design of structures against fire’ was held at Aston University, Birmingham, UK, on 15-16 April 1986, to give those involved with structural fire protection-engineers, architects, local authorities, fire officers-information on recent developments in this field.
Mr G. Margason (Director, Transport & Road Research Laboratory): Mr President, I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the discussion at tonight’s meeting. May I first congratulate Mr Tietz on his paper which, I think, summarises admirably the recent report by the EDC’s Research Strategy Committee and highlights for discussion many points which are of critical importance to this Institution and the technical future of the profession.
I think all Presidents make basically the same speech. They are very conscious that they represent the membership-the entire membership-and that they are expected to perceive and explain clearly possible directions for the profession; to produce an extra awareness which not only extends us but also influences how others see us; to ask questions-hopefully of all the membership; to raise our vision. Professor E. Happold
Information technology (IT) embraces the state of the art in electronic communication and dataprocessing. Creating structures is among the oldest of human activities, but blending this craft with the art of IT has proved to be difficult. In the building industry are proponents ranging from avant-garde architect-cum-structural engineers with CADD systems (computer aided design and drafting), global satellite links, and electronic postboxes, to subcontractors laying bricks and mortar with little better in the way of aids than were available in medieval times. A.J.M. Soane
It is now well over a year since Mr D. W. Lazenby presented the Associate-Membership review at an Ordinary Meeting. Being an Associate-Member, I attended this meeting, as a very interested party. P.R. Beadle
Mr R. C. Hairsine, whose letter in 1974 did much to establish this column, has written recently from Poole in Dorset with a number of questions and apposite comments on correspondence in recent issues: (1) Ceiling loads Does anyone know why there is a continuing discrepancy between the uniform imposed ceiling load in the Building Regulations 1985 (0.75 kN/m2) and the loading Code BS6399: Part l (0.25 kN/m2)? Verulam