Bridge Winners and Losers (Rapid Evaluation of Bridge Designs and Construction Methods)

Floors in existing mill buildings Mr C. P. Pountney of Edgmond, near Telford, has taken up the problem raised in January by Mr R. J. Rhodes of how to obtain integral action between steel beams and brick arch floors supported by them. He writes: Referring to Mr Rhodes' letter on strengthening existing steel joist/brick arch floors by a form of composite concrete-steel section construction, and in particular the steel section-concrete interaction, the following alternatives can be easily used and computed. Verulam

It is the responsibility of the Senior Partner or Managing Director of abusiness enterprise, not of a member of middle management, to design and ensure the effective implementation of an appropriate training programme. All too often the responsibilities for matters relating to training of new recruits or existing members of staff are entrusted to an enthusiastic volunteer who is rarely given the appropriate authority, let alone resources to implement a programme of training. In most organisations the subject of training is well supported by management until the moment arises for them to nominate a member of their staff to go on a course. It is then that support for training rapidly converts to a barrage of excuses why the proposed candidate for training cannot be released. D.H. Stanger

Exponents of QA may argue that the claims presently made by both consultants and contractors of full QA being implemented on sites are not justified. Such exponents would suggest that the systems actually employed so far are merely a more formalised form of quality control. While we would agree with these arguments, we welcome the intention to achieve quality assured construction. L.J. Carvalho