Discussion on Glaxo Wellcome Medicines Research Centre, Stevenage: Anatomy of the Design Process by

The Steel Construction Institute is an independent, member based organisation, which was founded in 1986 to develop and promote the efficient use of steel in construction. S. Houghton

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow members of the Institution of Structural Engineers, I want this evening to consider some simple questions -why do we choose to be engineers? Why structural engineers? Why members of this institution? These are very intriguing questions and I suspect that there are no simple answers, but I also suspect that most members would agree on some basic criteria. I want particularly to address my remarks to the ordinary member, whether she or he be in Huddersfield or Hong Kong, Southampton or Sydney, Delhi or Durban, Limerick or Lagos. B.P. Clancy

The safe and economic design of a retaining wall depends on the appropriate mobilisation of strength in the adjacent soil. Dense soil tends to be brittle, so that it loses its strength even under strains compatible with the expected displacement of walls. Loose soil tends to be so compliant that it fails to fully develop its available strength. These two concerns are central to the new design methodology adopted by BS8002 Code of practice for earth-retaining structures. M.D. Bolton