Changes to Structural Timber Codes

Obiter scripta A happy new year to all readers - 1997 should have its share of controversial topics! The Engineering Council is sorting out its role (see The Structural Engineer, 10 December 1996) and members will watch public reaction to the Year of Engineering Success (YES) with interest. With the media apparently convinced that bridges are nowadays designed by architects, some serious redress to our image is clearly necessary. Verulam

The new Glyndebourne Opera House is a building in which the structure is the architecture. The materials used include in situ and Precast concrete, steelwork, timber and a PVC-coated polyester membrane, but most significant is the use of solid loadbearing masonry with lime putty mortal. This, in conjunction with high quality precast concrete, is what defines the character of the building. J.A. Thornton and J.G. Turzynski

This article examines three prototype structures built by researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne reusing concrete elements saw-cut from existing structures scheduled for demolition.