Verulam

BS 5950: Part I appears to give no guidance regarding the effective lengths about the xx axis to be used in the design of columns in portal frames. This paper attempts to throw some light on why the information that engineers seek may have been omitted and to offer some guidance regarding the correct way to design portal frames for inplane stability. Some deficiencies in clause 5.5.3.2 of BS 5950: Part I are revealed, and the paper concludes with a proposal for a revision of this clause. Professor J.M. Davies

The approach to the design of timber joints adopted in the draft Eurocode 5 differs radically from that used in the current British Code, BS 5268. This paper outlines the theoretical basis of the Eurocode approach and makes comparisons with BS 5268. It then suggests a modified approach for future Codes. L.R.J. Whale

It is with some trepidation that, as a comparative newcomer to the world of academia, I make a contribution to a series of papers on education characterised by the long experience and international reputations of the authors. Nonetheless, I hope that my review of the teaching of civil engineering at Kingston polytechnic will prove informative, as well as throwing into sharp focus a number of key issues and challenges facing the polytechnic sector in the ‘brave new world’ of independence which we at Kingston have enjoyed since April 1989. Professor J.J. Roberts