Issue 8

All articles published in the August 2013 issue.

(NB Technical Guidance Note Level 2, No. 7 contained within this issue was updated in October 2016. For the updated article, see the individual article entry for this issue.)

The Steel Construction Institute's Nancy Baddoo reflects on the use of stainless steel in construction over the last century; from the stabilisation of the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1925, to the framework of Glasgow's Clyde Tunnel in 2010.

Winners of the Institution's 2013 Award for Excellence in Structural Engineering Education, authors from the University of Bath discuss the increase in student engagement, evidenced through a 'blended-learning' approached to computer-based learning activities.

Having taken over as structural engineers of the annual project from Arup, Aecom's Tom Webster and Harriet Eldred explain how architect Sou Fujimoto's vision of a 'formless form' was turned into reality.

Drawing on two high profile examples, Sean Brady suggests that attitudes toward near-misses can sometimes result in complacency – with catastrophic consequences.

An overview of the importance of temporary works (as evidenced by the significant number of historical failures) and the roles of both temporary and permanent works designers.

This note explores one of the most popular types of footing: concrete pad foundations. 

An introduction to ground bearing floor slabs, touching on the slabs' reinforcement by considering both historical use of mesh as well as plastic and steel fibre reinforcement methods.

This articles covers guidance – developed by the UKTFA and other professional bodies – that provides good practice information on safe fire space separation for timber elements during construction.

Alistair Lenczner questions the interpretation of a sketch by Christopher Wren in a feature article by Bill Addis, that appeared in the April 2013 issue.

Readers' letters in this issue discuss 'Combination rules', 'The 30 year failure cycle' and 'Torsion in piled foundations'.