Presidential Address. The Institution Today - and Tomorrow?

President’s diary Following the joint conference of Branch Chairman and Honorary Secretaries in London on 6 November, the President looks forward to joining members at the inaugural meetings of the East Anglian Branch in Norwich on 9 November, the Bedfordshire & Adjoining Counties Branch in Bedford on 10 November, the Thames Valley Branch at Wexham Springs on the evening of the following day, the North Thames Branch in Harlow on 18 November, the South-Eastern Counties Branch in Croydon on 24 November, the Northern Ireland Branch in Belfast on 27 November, and the Peterborough Section on 19 November. Mr White will attend the Republic of Ireland Branch’s annual dinner, in Dublin, on 13 November.

Fixing window glass The use of a silicon adhesive in a relatively new method of fixing glass was described by Mr G. V. Francis in our column in July 1986. In this method, silicon adhesive is applied around the perimeter of the glass in lieu of an exterior metal stop, mechanically fixed to the frame. Mr Francis' request for the views of readers resulted in letters (November 1986) from Mr G. E. Bratchell and Mr A. Wenham-Prosser, of whom particularly the latter expressed reservations and mentioned possible dangers and difficulties. Verulam

The behaviour of steel columns provided with semi-rigid end restraint typical of that produced by any of the usual forms of beam to column connection is analysed by means of a computer program using the finite element method. The non-linear variation of connection stiffness with rotation is allowed for by an accurate representation of the connection momentr otation (M-O) characteristic. Results are presented for one particular combination of variables-termed the ‘basic problem ’-which demonstrates how reduced column lateral deflections lead to enhanced column strengths. A systematic variation of the main parameters has enabled the relative connection stiffness to be identified as the most important factor in determining the extent to which a particular connection type will be capable of increasing the strength of a given column. When cast in the form of effective length factors for use with traditional methods of column design, the results suggest significantly lower values than those customarily recommended at present. S.W. Jones, D.A. Nethercot and P.A. Kirby