The central and eastern European countries, evolving as they are from state-controlled to market economies, represent an opportunity for western European construction industries. Recognising this, the Institution ran a l-day seminar on 9 February 1993 with the aim of exploring the construction markets of central and eastern Europe and how they could be penetrated by UK structural engineering practices.
Feedback from practising engineers to the Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) concerning potential failures would assist the maintenance and improvement of structural safety. The basis for this view is described below. J.B. Menzies
Mr Immediate Past President, ladies and gentlemen. This is the first Ordinary Meeting of the Institution of the 1993-1994 session, and it is my privilege to address you as President for the first time. H.P.J. Taylor
With the advent of European structural Codes, there is a greater emphasis and dependence on partial safety factors as a means of ensuring adequate margins of safety. It is the opinion of the authors, however, that overemphasis on partial safety factors disguises the real risk of failure. Adjustments to partial safety factors affect serviceability and economy, but the existence of gross error in design or construction (or both) presents the greatest risk to public safety. S. Thorburn and E.W. MacArthur