ICE - Institution of Civil Engineers - Virtual Library

This briefing looks at the objectives and current activities of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE).

Tests were made on steel-framed buildings under construction in London in the early 1930s and they revealed startling discrepancies between the values of stresses calculated by conventional elastic designers and those actually measured. It became apparent that very small defects in manufacture of construction could have a great influence on the actual state of a structure; moreover, these defects could not, by their nature, be predicted. It was at this time, however, that results were published on the collapse behaviour of steel structures—initial defects were ‘wiped out’ by plastic deformation, and the final collapse loads appeared to be independent of the defects. The ‘plastic’ method was investigated in the UK (in Bristol and Cambridge) from 1936 onwards, and by 1948 a clause was inserted into the relevant British standard permitting plastic design in steel. Further advances in the second half of the 20th century revealed the theoretical basis for simple plastic design. Elastic analysis is necessary for the calculation of deflexions and the investigation of stability, but the examination of ‘plastic’ strength uses only the equilibrium equations and knowledge of the yield stress of the material. The plastic design method could be renamed that of ‘static equilibrium’, and it is applicable to structures of reinforced concrete, of masonry, and indeed of any ductile material that a designer would consider safe in practice.

The Jawa dam in northern Jordan is often regarded as the oldest known dam in the world. The structure and the famous Sadd el Kafara in Egypt are both well known. However, it seems logical that these large dams had forerunners with an unknown chain of development. Research works over the last five years have revealed small dams in southern Jordan that can be dated to the seventh millennium BC. The dams of the Neolithic and early Bronze Age were designed just to withstand water pressure—not to prevent seepage. A layer of relatively impermeable soil used for sealing was observed for the first time at Hittite dams at Sarissa and Hattusa. A pavement of large stones on the downstream face permitted some defence against water overflowing the dam. These dams therefore represent a significant step in the development of modern dams.

This paper traces the early history of steel columns in US buildings including the development of steel sections and examples of buildings in which they were used. A common misconception is addressed: that the frames of early skeleton-frame buildings in the USA were made entirely of steel. In fact, some of the first skeleton frames contained no steel at all. In the 1890s, the era of US pioneer skyscrapers, the part of a building's frame least likely to be made of steel was the columns. At this time, steel columns had to be fabricated from various rolled shapes and the extra labour involved was a factor in their high cost. There were many forms of steel columns and professional opinion differed regarding which sections offered the most strength and best connections at the least cost. Many contingent factors encouraged designers to use steel columns or choose alternatives, or to select one section rather than another. A key point is that structural steel was not a precondition for the development of skeleton-frame construction. Moreover, the diverse ways designers used materials show how experimental frame design was in the early days of skeleton-frame construction. Eventually, by the second decade of the twentieth century, all-steel frames became the norm for tall buildings.

This project springs from a discussion among members of history of technology seminar at the University of Bath. It reflects a widespread apprehension that all is not well with our national training programmes for engineers and other professional groups. British practice has traditionally paid particular attention to the skills that can be acquired by performing tasks under the guidance of established experts. However, it is now generally recognised that such an apprenticeship system is not adequate to meet the modern demands for highly specialised technical skills, which, moreover, are constantly changing in response to new knowledge. It has become necessary to rely on tuition in universities and specialist technical institutions, although this requires supplementation by personal application to reading, field-work, model-making and technical drawing. The resulting amalgam of acquired and taught crafts with a high level of personal commitment is what we have come to expect of our experts. While recognising that it is not possible to generalise precisely from a small number of case studies, these studies nevertheless attempt to assess the value of different elements in our professional training through a comparison of four cases. The emphasis is on engineering because this represents the background of most members of the group, and also because engineering training procedures have been the subject of particular recent anxiety. But other experiences provide a wider context in which the strengths and weaknesses of engineering education and training can be regarded.

The first part of this paper sets the scene for the growth of the road programme in the UK since 1950 and new additions to the existing stock of bridges. The second part describes the events that gave concern for the preservation of those bridges and the attention given to the policy and inspection procedures to safeguard the nation's existing stock. Tables describing the bridge stock, the principal factors influencing maintenance expenditure and the principal tasks are provided, together with concluding observations and acknowledgement of the great efforts of the bridge engineering community over the half-century covered.

The paper presents a review of Telford's work in Ireland, in particular the Howth Road, the final link in the plan to improve communication between London and Dublin. Telford's influence on Irish dock and harbour construction is also discussed, as well as his role in the planning of the Ulster Canal.