Issue 1

A little over two and a half years ago I gave a lecture to the Institution of Electrical Engineers in which I described what had led up to the creation within the Science Research Council of the Engineering Board in October 1969, and what our hopes for it were. In asking me to be your Maitland Lecturer this year you have done me great honour, especially since my knowledge of structural engineering is confined to certain disastrous Meccano experiments of my youth, while the studies of nuclear structure on which my scientific reputation rests would be a poor model for your more massive constructions. But in honouring me thus you have also presented me with a fine opportunity to return to the subject of my earlier lecture. The Science Research Council’s Engineering Board has just set out on the fourth year of its existence, and it is therefore a suitable moment for me, in my last year of office at the SRC, to tell you something of what has been achieved and of where we believe we are heading. First, however, I would like to say a few words about the SRC as a whole: what its functions are and how it tries to fulfil them. I shall briefly recapitulate the events which gave rise to the Engineering Board so that the rest of my lecture can be seen in a suitable context. I shall go on to discuss the r61e of the SRC and its Engineering Board in the support of universities. I shall discuss how many engineering graduates the universities are producing, .and what sort of engineering graduate we need. I shall describe the research carried out by some university engineering departments, SRC’s role in supporting it, and the way in which universities, industry and the professional institutions can work, through a research council, to influence the development of engineering research and education. Sir Brian Flowers

All the fixed structures in the North Sea are at present supported on piles driven into the sea-bed and, as the water gets deeper and the waves get higher, they are furthermore anchored in the sea-bed to resist uplifts almost as big as the down thrusts. The structures do, of course, differ in layout and in detail, depending upon specific requirements and environments, but they remain in principle the same and are to a great extent governed by the necessity of pile driving. Structures could also be supported on a concrete raft resting on or in the sea-bed and it can be shown that it is an advantage to have the raft sunk into the sea-bed. A method for sinking the raft to a required depth below sea-bed level is proposed and the tool necessary for the job is being developed at present. Frode J. Hanson

The training methods used in France for consulting engineers, the scope of their professional activities and the relations that they maintain with their clients, associated professions and the State are described. The profession of consulting engineer within the general framework of engineering (ingénierie), is defined and his training is described. The organization of his office (i.e. insurance, and his relations with architects and others and with the State) is discussed. Joseph Bory

A new analytical method of determining the maximum strength of steel beam-columns is given. In-plane failure under uniaxial moment loading is investigated and full account is taken of imperfections such as residual stresses and initial curvature. Good correlation with existing experimental results is established. A novel form of design presentation is derived which permits all four beam-column parameters to appear on a single chart. The important concept of the stocky column is introduced. These are members which can be designed for full plasticity without the need to investigate stability effects. B.W. Young