Bearing Capacity of Plain and Reinforced Concrete Blocks

On 16 January 1990, the Institution is to hold a l day meeting on the theme ‘Design criteria for nuclear structures’. Structures built to enclose or support nuclear plant have to meet the demands imposed from a rational safety case and are subjected to loading conditions which require them to be designed and constructed to stringent standards. These standards have evolved to serve the safety and reliability demands of the defence, nuclear power generation, and reprocessing industries.

Robert Tristram (G) writes: Some very interesting points have been raised by Dennis Waite and Donald Evans (5 September and 3 October). Few would disagree with the statement to the effect that Codes should be written for the acceptance of fools and the guidance of wise men. Also, it does seem that a great deal of innovative design is stifled by unimaginative and defensive approving authorities: the idea that an approving engineer might be of an altogether lower level of proficiency than the designer does give some cause for concern.

Mr A. C. G. Hayward (F) (Cass Hayward & Partners): The new national steelwork document should be welcomed by most engineers in that they need expend less effort in writing a specification for what is a specialised product. Provided that the document is widely adopted, employers should benefit long term from more uniform pricing of steel fabrication, and it appears to be gaining acceptance. A unique specification always attracts higher rates, because of either lack of familiarity or the need for the fabricator to institute procedures (such as machine ending) extra to his normal production line.