Verulam (readers' letters – May 2017)

This book provides good coverage of durability design of concrete structures and valuable information for the understanding of deterioration processes, concludes Long-yuan Li. It will serve as a useful reference work for both students and practising engineers.

Structural engineers must do more than play a supporting role to architects' designs, argues 2017 Institution President, Ian Firth. We must also engage in the conceptual design process and have our say on what good design is.

This month's question on tension forces in a canopy has been provided by Institution Member Hugh Morrison.