Links in a Chain. The Development of Suspension Bridges 1801-70

A compliment and a complaint Mr. J. N. Barber has this to say about the journal and about certain observations in the Annual Report (April 1979): As an outsider who is nevertheless fortunate enough to see The Structural Engineer regularly, may I assure you that the present format and content of your journal is far superior to the fare served up in other places. Verulam

Mr. D. R. R. Dick (Past President): In 1940, when the Ministry of Works requisitioned Queen Anne's Mansions for the Admiralty, I was the structural engineer heading up the team resgonsible for maintenance in Central London. The maintenance surveyor asked me to go along there and give some guidance as to their structural soundness. I was therefore responsible for the figures that you quoted concerning floor loads and strengths-but I did not do them in kilonewtons!

The term 'permissible stress' used in CP 1 14 describes a number that is defined by that Code and that, when used in formulae specified therein, defines a limit to the recommended service load for the element under consideration. It does not purport to correspond to the actual stress expected to occur in the element when subjected to the deduced value of service load, and any detailed consideration of the means by which this number was selected should show that it cannot be expected to do so in a material as complex as reinforced concrete. A.J. Tanner