Computers in the Design Office: Boon or Bane?

This paper discusses the philosophy of the conservation of the built environment as seen by English Heritage and other conservation bodies. It examines the role of the structural engineer in building conservation and considers whether the education of engineers allocates sufficient time to the study of existing structures. I.J. Hume

Recently, the Construction Research & Innovation Strategy Panel (CRISP) combined with Construction Foresight to urge further research into the workings of the Private Finance Initiative. Its report, on the theme of risk and reward, said the most urgent requirement for construction was to help the top 500 constructors to scale the PFI learning curve. John D. Allen asked four consultants with close experience of PFI negotiations for their views on this idea.

Mr E. H. F. Taylor (F) (Ove Arup & Partners) How times change! This paper takes me back some 35 years to Trafford Park in Manchester and part of the structural steelwork industry. The most basic chore in that office was the scheduling of bolts for a job. We used to arm ourselves with full-sized sections of rolled steel joints and rolled steel channels showing the exact dimensions of bolts through the flanges, and then we would proceed: 3/4in diameter generally, 5/8in diameter for 4in flanges, 1/2in diameter for 3 1/2in flanges. It was, of course, sacrosanct that no part of the threaded portions occurred in the shear planes. Our economical length was 1/4in. On occasions we would end up by specifying a bolt, say, connecting a channel to a joist with perhaps up to two flat washers, an 8° washer, a 5°washer, and a description showing the drawing, the stanchion number, the details of the connection, and so on.