A review of some of the postgraduate and research courses available for graduates.
With the rapid increase in urban development and in population, habitable areas that are not already densely populated are on the decline. For example, whereas in 1950, there were only 7 urban areas in the world with more than 5m inhabitants, this number rose to 34 in 1980 and is expected to rise further to 60 by the year 2000 (Mehta and Motiero, 1993). This, coupled with the increasing importance of corporate insurance and risk management, has led to heightened awareness of the importance of earthquake risk assessment and management of the disastrous effects of this natural hazard. Amr Elnashi
This paper presents a number of case histories illustrating the benefits and costs of certain types of engineering measurement and testing, with a focus on land-based structures. The benefits are described mainly in terms of safety, economy, and environment. The costs are related to the amount of data collected and processed. The paper concludes with some technical and financial guidance for clients, owners, consultants, and contractors, who may be considering these types of activities. J.R. Maguire
Structural engineering is a fascinating subject with a long and interesting heritage. So why is it not more widely adopted as a course of study? Actually it is easy to understand why. Engineering is not well thought of in most schools as a career option. At the points in young people’s education when decisions have to be made, they are offered the choices of sciences or arts subjects (although art and music are not considered to be serious academic subjects). Engineering is the creative end of science. To take it up, one has to do maths and physics, but the art side is usually ignored or played down. Certainly, it is not an entry requirement for university courses. The focus here is on the maths because of the concentration of maths in the courses, but the skills and knowledge required to be a practising engineer are very much wider. W.I. Liddell
There are a considerable number of masonry arch bridges in the UK, most dating from the 19th Century but some much older. A small but important proportion of these bridges are skewed arches, often having been constructed to carry railway lines into cities on relatively straight paths across existing features, such as canals and roads. James Davey and Charles Augarde
This article discusses and investigates how a slender steel staircase responds to dynamic excitation. A blind analysis predicted the mode shape and main natural frequency of the staircase. From experimental investigation, this prediction was proved to be close to the actual behaviour. Initial and post footfall analysis accurately modelled the response of the staircase. Based on these findings, this work has resulted in a proposed procedure to determine the maximum response of future staircases, which is contained in the full report held by the University of Bristol. Tim Hill and Matthew Palmer
Members have made various suggestions aimed to assist our image. Robert Wodehouse is concerned that a scruffy appearance detracts and would like qualified commentators on structures to be tidy and well-dressed when appearing on the media.