All articles published in the March 2015 issue.
Publish Date – 27 February 2015
In a two-part article based on his 2015 James Sutherland History Lecture, Alan Hayward traces the development of steel bridge building in Britain from the construction of the Forth Rail Bridge in 1890. Part 1 covers the period up to the 1970s.
Aimee McCabe and Daniel McPolin of Queen's University Belfast describe their innovative use of virtual reality to develop undergraduate students' spatial awareness and discuss the wider potential uses of this technology within structural engineering.
Architect Ian Davies offers a brief guide to the new RIBA Building Contracts which have been tailored to domestic or simple commercial projects.
To mark International Women’s Day, Sean Brady presents the first of a two-part article exploring the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and the crucial role Emily Warren Roebling played in making it a reality.
The third part of our series from insurance broker Griffiths & Armour explores the problems that can arise from failing to follow a tight brief.
This article provides more detail on the need for electrical isolation, and is of particular relevance to refurbishment and demolition projects.
Director of Structural-Safety, Alastair Soane, summarises the latest CROSS newsletter and encourages readers to submit reports.
The design for horizontal actions, fire and materials is considered, along with simplified methods of design. Throughout this article the Nationally Determined Parameters (NDPs) from the UK National Annexes have been used. These enable Eurocode 6 (BS EN 1996-1-1) to be applied in the UK.
Replacement of stone on historic buildings may be required for numerous reasons. These include age-related decay and weathering, poor workmanship in terms of material choice or setting, defective fixings, and structural failure. The main aim, in assessment, will be to retain the historic fabric where practical. However, the decision to replace will depend to a great extent on having a clear understanding of the significance of the stone, both individually and within the context of the element that it is part of, its predicted life or durability and its cost.
The latest papers accepted for publication in the Institution's new research journal, Structures. Access to Structures is free to all during 2015. From 2016, Institution members will continue to receive free access as one of their membership benefits. The journal is available online at: www.elsevier.com/locate/structures
Letters this month include discussion on London's Garden Bridge, mast piling, waterbars and the relationship between design sketching and costing.
Adrian Long finds this to be a well-written and useful book, which will be of value to structural engineers involved in reinforced concrete design and, particularly, to lecturers thanks to its extensive list of references to research papers.
This comprehensive book would make a useful companion for students of structural engineering, believes Ian May, seeing them though from undergraduate courses to postgraduate study or their first career steps as structural engineers.