Issue 9

Cables and other tension members comprise critical structural members in a variety of engineered facilities. Suspended and cable-stayed bridges, tents, and suspended roofs, are among the structures that extensively adopt cable structural elements. Owing to the relative engineering simplicity and predictable response of a tension element, cables can be readily implemented as a macro-sensor for detecting the onset and progress of damage to the structure. Armin Mehrabi and W.G. Corley

Inspection of structures in service is generally recognised as being necessary to contribute to assurance of safety and to provide a basis for decisions on maintenance and repair. Over the years, in the 12 reports which have appeared since 1977, SCOSS has drawn attention to structures where the current level of inspections appears to be insufficient to identify emerging unsafe situations, or where there is a particular inspection difficulty. Kathy Stansfield

The paper discusses 15 failures from which useful lessons can be drawn.

The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 generally applies to all contracts ‘entered into’ from 11 May 2000 (Structural News 1 June 1999). The Act was passed into law on 11 November 1999. Recognising its far-reaching effects, a 6 month ‘lead-in’ period was built into the Act to allow people to prepare for it. Paul Cowan

Continuing Professional Development Brian Clancy’s Viewpoint (7 March 2000) has turned the occasional drip of contributions into a steady drizzle, if not yet into a total downpour. Starting with Robert Horne: At last we have a mature, considered and balanced view on CPD.