The owl and the pussycat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat’ and after a ‘year and a day’ they reached ‘the land where the bong-tree grows.’ That much we all know but how many know that Edward Lear had started a sequel about the children from this union, two verses of which were published posthumously? Our mother was the Pussy-cat, Our father was the Owl, And so we’re partly little beasts And partly little fowl, The brothers of our family have feathers and they hoot, While all the sisters dress in fur And have long tails to boot. R. Nicholson, CBE, RIBA, HonFIStructE Director, Edward Cullinan Architects, London
Following concerns expressed in the media in relation to the performance of hollow core slabs in fire two full-scale fire tests have been carried out at BRE’s Cardington test facility. The objectives of the experimental programme were to assess the adequacy of this form of construction in terms of the functional requirements of Approved Document B of the Building Regulations. This paper explains the background to the work, describes the test parameters in some detail and summarises the main results and conclusions from the project. Tom Lennon, BEng (Hons), BA (Hons) Principal Consultant, The Building Research Establishment, Garston, Watford, WD25 9XX