And finally... (July 2018)

This month we are delighted to announce the winners of the 2018 Structures prizes. Congratulations to Andrew Liew, Leroy Gardner and Philippe Block on winning the ‘Best Research Paper Prize’ for their paper on ‘Moment-Curvature-Thrust Relationships for Beam-Columns’ published in Volume 11, August 2017. We also congratulate Chris Burgoyne and Owen Mitchell on winning the ‘Best Research into Practice Paper Prize’ for their paper on ‘Prestressing in Coventry Cathedral’ published in Volume 11, August 2017. Both papers will be free to read until 7 September 2018. The annual Structures prizes are judged by The Institution of Structural Engineers Research Panel and supported by Elsevier. Each prize carries an award of £500.

Upcoming events at HQ and around the Regional Groups.

There is something special about megaprojects that brings out the best in engineering design and construction. It could be that the longer-term durations for the planning, design and build phases allow more measured and thoughtful decision making; it could be that the weight of public exposure and expectation creates an added incentive to succeed; it could be that the prestige of being part of the programme attracts the best teams in the best organisations; it could be that the extended schedule nurtures a team spirit and a collaborative way of working that is difficult to achieve in a typical shorter-term project.