Copenhagen Accord Briefing EEFIT's Latest Visits To Earthquake Zones Barracks Becomes Housing President's Address: Opportunities Within Change
Copenhagen Accord Briefing EEFIT's Latest Visits To Earthquake Zones Barracks Becomes Housing President's Address: Opportunities Within Change
Copenhagen Accord Briefing EEFIT's Latest Visits To Earthquake Zones Barracks Becomes Housing President's Address: Opportunities Within Change
19 January 2010
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Masdar, a sustainable city in the desert, under way in Abu Dhabi (Courtesy Foster and Partners)
News
Obituary: Peter Maurice Fraenkel (1915-2009) In brief...
Peter Martin (F) writes: At this time also the firm undertook a Concrete structures for oil and gas fields in
comprehensive study for the Department of hostile marine environments
Peter Fraenkel FREng, BSc(Eng), FIStructE, FICE, was Environment into the maintenance and operational This is the latest bulletin from fib, based on
one of the outstanding engineers of the post war needs of the 3100km of rivers and canals owned by experience gained from the design, execution and
period and a long time member of the Institution. He British Waterways (The Fraenkel Report) which set performance of a number of offshore concrete
became a Graduate Member in 1939, an Associate the scene for many of the improvements and new structures around the world and in particular in the
Member (now Member) in 1943 and a Member (now developments of the canal system which have come North Sea. Ongoing inspections have shown
Fellow) in 1961. to fruition in recent years. excellent durability and structural performance, even
He was born in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw One of the most prestigious projects undertaken in structures that have exceeded their design lives,
in Poland) in 1915 and came to London aged 16 in was the design and construction supervision of the in conditions often characterised by extreme wave
1931. After completing his schooling and learning 450m span Rama IX bridge across the Chao Phya loads, freezing conditions, hurricane force winds and
English in the process he studied civil engineering at River in Bangkok, an elegant high level cable-stayed seismic actions. This forms the background for
Imperial College. During the Second World War as a bridge forming part of the expressway system in the discussing the applicability of concrete structures
newly qualified engineer he served with the Ministry city. PFP led an international consortium of for the Arctic regions.
of Works on construction of army facilities consultants for this project, the main span of the The report is also relevant to other marine
throughout the UK. bridge being designed by Helmut Homberg of applications where the same design principles,
Mr Fraenkel joined the firm of Rendel Palmer & Germany which had been responsible for the design material selection criteria and construction methods
Tritton (RPT) in 1945. He was Resident Engineer on of roughly half the cable-stayed bridges in the world apply.
the ore unloading terminal at Tyne Dock and then built up to that time. fib Bulletin 50 is not in itself a code, nor is it a
worked in the firm’s head office in London, Peter Fraenkel’s firm was also heavily involved in textbook. Rather, extensive reference is made to
becoming a Partner in 1961, and Senior Partner of motorway and trunk road designs throughout proven and readily available design codes and
Rendel & Partners in Australia in 1969. England although the government’s temporary construction guides, as well as relevant papers and
In 1972 he took the bold step of leaving RPT to curtailment of the roads programme in the 1990s proceedings and other fib publications.
set up his own consultancy, Peter Fraenkel & saw a refocusing of the firm’s activities on marine, ISBN 978-2-88394-090-1 To order use the form
Partners (PFP). Early projects included flood barriers civil and coastal engineering. at (www.fib-international.org/publications/order/).
on the River Thames at Tilbury Docks and Royal He continued to work as Senior Partner and
Docks and the tanker jetties and other marine Chairman of the Fraenkel Group well into his 80s Eurocodes Masterclasses
facilities at Sullom Voe oil terminal in Shetland, when he chaired a joint PIANC/IAPH committee BSI Eurocodes Masterclasses will take place over 4
which was opened by HM the Queen in 1980. leading to the issue of an authoritative guide on the days, in London and Manchester. They aim to
The firm expanded rapidly as he gathered design of approach channels for ports. prepare structural engineers, architects and
together a team of partners and senior engineers Throughout a long and remarkable career in civil designers for the transition from British Standards to
with wide experience of civil engineering works. and structural engineering he was responsible for Eurocodes and to give them a thorough knowledge
Major overseas projects in the 1970s and 1980s many visible and lasting works world-wide. His and understanding of specific codes relevant to the
included the Thai Navy dockyard at Pom Prachul, achievements in setting up and developing an UK construction industry. Topics include:
near Bangkok and Tolo Highway in the New international engineering consultancy firm from Day 1: Basis of structural design & Eurocode 1:
Territories of Hong Kong, at the time the largest scratch were recognised with a Queens Award for Actions on structure
single highway scheme undertaken in the territory. Industry in 1982. Day 2: Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structures, or
Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures
Day 3: Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures, or
John Connell Gold Medal goes to Mike Fordyce Eurocode 6: Design of masonry structures
Day 4: Eurocode 4: Design of composite steel and
concrete structures.
The John Connell Gold Medal for 2009 has been Dates: 1-4 February; London; 9-12 March,
awarded to Past President Mike Fordyce by the Manchester; Full details see website:
Board of the College of Structural Engineers, (http://www.bsigroup.com/eurocodesmasterclasses).
Engineers Australia.
The Award is named after John Connell, Principal Xtreme concrete event
and Founder of Connell Wagner. It is made for The American Concrete Institute’s Convention takes
‘making a significant contribution, nationally and place from March 21-25, in Chicago, Ill., USA, at the
internationally, to the standing and prestige of the Sheraton Chicago.
structural engineering profession’. It will provide input on concrete industry codes,
Accepting the Award, Mr Fordyce, who has been specifications and guides throughout the 300+
in the professon for 40 years, was generous in his committee meetings and 35+ technical sessions
praise of the Institution of Structural Engineers offered. A forum on the reclassification of fly ash as
which, he said, took ‘the bold step to elect me as a hazardous material will prepare attendees to make
their first non-UK based President in its 100 year an assessment on whether this is a step forward or
history, in doing so selecting someone about as far Mike Fordyce, left, receives the Award at the EA backward. The forum, coordinated by ACI Committee
as away from its London HQ as possible’. Mr Queensland Division Christmas Dinner, 123, will outline what implications reclassification of
Fordyce established the Queensland Division of the presented by Andrew Chapman, EA Queensland fly ash will have on advances the concrete industry
Institution in 2001 (Chairman 2001-03) and was Division President has made towards a sustainable concrete
instrumental in the formation of the Australia Division construction.
in 2008. achievement’. The Sustainable Concrete Guide – Strategies and
Mr Fordyce said: ‘Another connection with the He added: ‘I have certainly enjoyed my career as Examples, published by the U.S. Green Concrete
Institution is John Connell himself who at the age of a structural engineer; it has taken me to many parts Council will be launched at the event.
96 must be one of our oldest living members and of the world and allowed me to meet and interact Further information (tel: 248-848-3795 or see
who reached 50 years as a Fellow of IStructE in our with a diverse range of people from different cultures website: www.aciconvention.org).
Centenary year of 2008 – a remarkable and backgrounds’.
News
Correction
The website referred to in Dr Graham Owens’ article
on the academics’ conference, p15 of The Structural
Engineer (88/1) was incorrect. It should be:
(http://www.istructe.org/educationaltrust).
Sustainability briefing
Introduction
In October 2009, Keith Clarke (Chairman, Construction Industry January 2005.
Council), in his presentation to the Institution’s Council, made a Many countries ratified the protocol (186 countries – accounting
convincing argument for tackling climate change through control for around 64% of global emissions) with the notable exception of
of the carbon emissions. As a result many people in the Institution the US (accounting for around 36% of global emissions).
will have been following progress of the climate change Contrary to popular belief, the Kyoto Protocol will not expire in
negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009. 2012. However, in 2012, Annex I countries must have fulfilled their
Graham Owens, in his role as President of the Institution, took a obligations of reduction of greenhouse gases emissions
strong lead on establishing the importance of structural engineers established for the first commitment period (2008-2012). The
in their role in enabling construction to reduce its carbon Kyoto Protocol is a first step; the UNFCCC requires modification
emissions. Both the ICE and the RIBA have argued for a ‘rational until the objective is met. The non-binding ‘Washington
legally binding global framework’ to emissions agreements. Declaration’, (a group of developed countries meeting in February
This note provides the general reader with information on the 2007) agreed in principle on the outline of a successor to the
background to the Copenhagen meeting and summarises the Kyoto Protocol. This would be a global cap-and-trade system
outcome. (continually reducing carbon quotas driving a carbon trading
The agreement at Copenhagen (The Copenhagen Accord) was system that would bring an efficient development of a low-carbon
not the legally binding commitment to reduced emissions that economy) that would apply to both industrialised nations and
many had expected and there were political reasons for this. developing countries, and it was hoped that this would be in place
Carbon reduction is still a live issue and, despite the outcome of by 2009.
Copenhagen, engineers should expect that many of their clients The 15th conference (COP 15) has recently concluded in
will call upon engineers to use skill and knowledge to produce Copenhagen. The following notes provide some advice on the
low-carbon construction solutions. outcome and what it might mean for Institution members.
jointly the quantified economy-wide emissions targets for 2020 as both the House and the Senate next year. 33 out of 50 states have
listed in appendix 1 before 1 February 2010.’ emission targets, which shows a considerable level of commitment
This phrase commits developed nations to start work almost to emissions reductions in the US.
immediately on reaching their mid-term targets. For the US, this is
a weak 14-17% reduction on 2005 levels (equivalent to 3-5% on China and the developing world
1990 levels); for the EU, a still-to-be-determined goal of 20-30% China, with other developing countries were put under pressure to
on 1990 levels; for Japan, 25% and Russia 15-25% on 1990 reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. They did not lose face –
levels. The accord makes no mention of 2050 targets, which had indeed they displayed strength in the face of pressure from
been included in earlier drafts. developed countries to ditch the twin-track process established in
Forests: ‘We recognise the crucial role of reducing emission Kyoto.
from deforestation and forest degradation and the need to China has adopted a position of reducing carbon intensity by
enhance removals of greenhouse gas emission by forests and 40%, i.e. reducing the rate of increase.
agree on the need to provide positive incentives to such actions
through the immediate establishment of a mechanism including The third world
REDD-plus, to enable the mobilisation of financial resources from The big losers are the poorest nations of the world which are
developed countries’. bound to suffer most from the suggested 2º temperature rise and
It has been estimated that more than 15% of emissions are there is much agreement on the imminent effects of climate
attributed to the clearing of forests but there are no safeguards change.
attached to this commitment. REDD, or reduced emissions from At the launch of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
deforestation and forest degradation is a controversial mechanism (IPCC) working group report on climate change (Sept 2007)
to control loss of forests. The basic concept is simple: Professor Parry, co-Chair, said: ‘We are all used to talking about
governments, companies or forest owners in the South should be these impacts coming in the lifetimes of our children and
rewarded for keeping their forests instead of cutting them down. grandchildren. Now we know that it’s us.’ He said the international
The idea of making payments to discourage deforestation and response to the problem had failed to grasp that serious
forest degradation was discussed in the negotiations leading to the consequences such as reduced crop yields and coastal flooding
Kyoto Protocol, but was rejected. REDD developed from a were now inevitable. ‘Mitigation has got all the attention but we
proposal in 2005 by a group of countries calling themselves the cannot mitigate out of this problem. We now have a choice
Coalition of Rainforest Nations. Two years later, the proposal was between a future with a damaged world or a severely damaged
taken up at the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Bali world.’
(COP-13). Agreement on REDD was planned for at COP-15. At the same event the trade and development minister, Gareth
Money: ‘The collective commitment by developed countries is to Thomas said: ‘Failing to tackle it [climate change] will lead to
provide new and additional resources amounting to $30bn for floods, droughts and natural disasters which can destroy poor
2010-12… Developed countries set a goal of mobilising jointly people's lives as well as their livelihoods.’
$100bn/year by 2020 to address needs of developing countries.’ Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman, IPCC, not surprisingly, spoke
Without this cash there would have been no agreement at diplomatically but strongly in his speech for the opening ceremony
Copenhagen. It provides for rich nations to support developing for COP 15. He said: ‘Available research suggests a significant
countries' efforts. Longer term, a far larger sum of money will be future increase in heavy rainfall events in many regions, including
committed to a Copenhagen Green Climate Fund but the some in which the mean rainfall is projected to decrease. The
agreement leaves open the questions of where the money will resulting flood risk poses challenges to society, physical
come from, and how it will be used. infrastructure and water quality. It is likely that 20% of the world
population, which as a fraction could exceed two billion people,
What was not agreed? will live in areas where river flood potential could increase by the
An attempt to replace Kyoto: Early drafts had included the 2080s. In Africa, by 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are
preamble ‘Affirming our firm resolve to adopt one or more legal projected to be exposed to water stress due to climate change,
instruments …’ but it created a negotiation obstacle. The Kyoto and in some countries on that continent yields from rain-fed
Protocol includes an important distinction between developed and agriculture could be reduced by up to 50%.’
developing countries. This ‘twin-track’ approach was expected to There is neither agreement in place to limit rises to that nor any
be adopted in any agreement coming out of the Copenhagen legal agreement on mechanisms to achieve the agreed 2º limit.
conference. Kyoto established the ‘polluter pays’ principle and Low-lying countries will be lost – and soon.
developing countries were not prepared to adopt a single
agreement. Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada are desperate to The United Kingdom
move to a one-track approach, but developing nations refused to The UK came out of the Conference with some political credit.
kill off the protocol. They were praised for achieving the $100bn/year commitment to
Deadline for a treaty: ‘… as soon as possible and no later than developing countries.
COP16 …’ appeared and disappeared on the last day of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions are still limited by the Kyoto
Conference. It set December 2010 as the date for the conclusion mechanism and the EU already has a strong commitment to
of a legally binding treaty. The final text dropped this date but it is reduction of carbon emissions. The UK has the strongest climate
likely that we will hear Governments and NGOs say that COP16 change legislation in the EU. However, other countries have
(Mexico) should become the milestone COP15 (Copenhagen) was committed more funds than the UK has in supporting the
meant to be. stimulation of green technology. Thus the UK is likely to find itself
importing new technology to comply with its own stringent
Outcome – how the Copenhagen Accord affects the various Parties legislation (the Climate Change Act; The Carbon Reduction
Commitment and implementation of the Code for Sustainable
The United States Homes).
The Copenhagen Accord means that the US does not have the The lack of agreement on reducing carbon quotas has meant
problem of having to address a climate change bill. Their system of the price of carbon has fallen on the international markets, leading
patronage through financial support of politicians makes it unlikely to a lack of incentive for industry to invest in low-carbon
that they could implement a Climate Change Act, meaning that the technology. Development of low carbon industry is a reality for the
US is unlikely to sign up to any legally enforceable international UK economy – UK law drives it. As they have to move to low
agreement. carbon technology (to meet legal emissions limits) but do not have
However it is interesting to note that Sen. John Kerry announced the financial benefit of carbon trading to pay for the cost (due to
at Copenhagen that he expected a US Climate Change Bill to clear low value of carbon credits) it is probable that the impact on
construction will be felt more through the high price of energy and those who have been most responsible for the emissions causing
high embodied energy products rather than in direct innovation. climate change have a responsibility to act. Anyone who is
Unless other developed nations move towards targets of similar sceptical of the science behind man-made carbon emissions
stringency, the UK may find itself being put in an uncompetitive leading to climate change should make reference to the Royal
situation, which may lead to internal political pressure to reduce Society website and in particular their publication Climate Change
current UK commitments. Whatever happens it will be driven by Controversies – A Simple Guide (http://royalsociety.org/Climate-
the price of energy and the relative cost of fossil fuel energy and change-controversies/).
renewable energy. Presumably the reason that a ‘rational framework’ was not
agreed at Copenhagen was because both the developed and the
COP 15 success or failure? developing countries saw it as too expensive – too restrictive on
It seems that the best to be said of COP 15 is that it is two steps their economies. But, as climate change continues, there will be
forward and one step back. It has certainly failed the poorest agreement on how to limit emissions. As a legally binding limit
nations of the world. The Non-Governmental Organisations (which would drive carbon price) does not seem to be possible, it
(NGOs) of the world were excluded from the UN official conference seems unlikely that the future will be a ‘cap and trade’ mechanism.
and so they lacked influence on the outcome. The issues Perhaps we will see taxes on carbon emissions – a ‘Carbon Tax’
surrounding climate change are complex and the Conference has has been discussed for many years and if a market-driven system
not succeeded in making them any clearer to the non-specialists. cannot be established, then a tax seems inevitable.
The concept of the trillionth tonne of carbon may be a way of Although the world’s politicians failed to reach agreement, many
communicating some of the complexity in an understandable companies and other organisations recognise the imperative to act
manner. and are adopting carbon reduction strategies. There was no global
Since 2006 the head of the UNFCCC Secretariat has been Yvo agreement at Copenhagen but the development of low-carbon
de Boer. In 2008 he said: ‘Copenhagen, for me, is a very clear solutions as a requirement of a client’s brief will be the most
deadline that I think we need to meet, and I am afraid that if we obvious impact on engineers. We will see low carbon solutions
don't then the process will begin to slip, and like in the trade (energy generation and construction) continuing to be of
negotiations, one deadline after the other will not be met, and we importance. They will provide considerable professional
sort of become the little orchestra on the Titanic’. opportunities for engineers to use their skills and knowledge to
In 2009 he said that everything will be sorted out ‘in Mexico one meet this challenge positively.
year from now’.
This briefing is prepared by the Institution of Structural Engineers
The Future – beyond COP 15 Sustainable Construction Panel; Contact: Berenice Chan (email:
The effect of climate change is unequal – the UK is in the fortunate Berenice.chan@istructe.org).
position of being less directly affected than most. The poorest
countries of the world will be worst hit and surely this means that Issue No: 8
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being presented. Registration is required via HYHQWV#LVWUXFWHRUJ,ATECOMERSWILLONLYBEADMITTEDTOTHEOVERmOWFACILITYNOTTHEMAINLECTURETHEATRE
Report
1 2
of the region. The earthquake was the result of the subduction of hospital, performed well as did the Paraiman hospital, closer to the
the Australian Plate below the Java Sundra Trench (Asia) plate, epicentre, which only exhibited hairline cracks in the sidewalls.
part of the area of the Pacific region ‘ring of fire’. Weak column/strong beam was the construction policy and this
The majority of residential housing is one- to two-storey seemed to cope well with the ground movement.
buildings of reinforced concrete frames with timber beams and In the port area, although a ground settlement of 6cm was seen
galvanized sheeting for roofs. The commercial and Industrial with some cracking of roadways, etc., it was mostly unaffected by
buildings were mostly of rc frames, but some steel, with masonry the ’quake and no disruption to normal working was experienced.
infill walls suffered a whole range of damage from severe to little Darren Chian (Cambridge University) reported on the
from the earthquake and ground movement. The variation in geotechnical effects resulting from the earthquake. Cracks
structural damage to hotels, commercial retailing outlets and propagated through the soil toward the coast and reached the
especially government buildings was surprising and put down to surface in some areas (Fig 4). Liquefaction was another effect
the quality of the construction and detailing and of the materials reported in the coastal region. There was settlement of the ground
used and also the localised variation in soil quality and type. One and houses which showed signs of severe ground cracking and
five-storey building, very close to a damaged shopping centre, upheaval due to pore (hydraulic) pressure.
which was composed of a rc frame and masonry infill walls, Landslides were a major feature of the Padang earthquake, the
showed very little effect from the earthquake. most heavily damaged area being Nagari Tandikek region which
In general the most prominent type of structural failure was soft saw one landslip that had a run-off of 240m and height of 68m.
storey failure (Fig 3). This occurred across the board in hotels, Over 250 died in the area. The landslides were the major
shopping centres and industrial buildings, sometimes caused by disruption to the road network; although structurally undamaged
insufficient confinement of the reinforcement in the concrete some roads were blocked due to landslips.
frames.
Jessica Whittle (Oxford University) reported that 80% of Disaster management
government buildings either collapsed or were severely damaged, Team leader, Sean Wilkinson, reported on the effect the ’quake
again mostly by soft storey failure. The Ministry of Finance, which had on the infrastructure and public services where major
was one example, was constructed using plain reinforcing bar in disruption occurred. The water supply was severely affected as the
the concrete instead of ribbed as detailed in the Code. In contrast, mains pipelines (mostly ductile iron) cracked during ground
the City Hall in Pariaman City was reasonably unaffected movement and Padang central reservoir lost half of its capacity in
structurally and showed little sign of damage except for broken the quake. There was no diesel generator back-up in the event of
windows and small shear cracks in the exterior façade. disruption of main supplies. Two other gravity fed reservoirs to the
Poorer people who lived in low quality housing made of stone north and south of the city fared better but as pipes were fractured
and masonry construction with roofs of timber and galvanized there was no way to get the water to where it was needed quickly.
sheeting were serioulsy affected. Stone construction is not The power outage lasted for 3 days and was caused by the
seismically good and a number of dwelling in Pariaman City were power companies (gas and electric) turning off the supply to lessen
badly damaged. the risk of fire, although with no town gas network the risk of fire
Over 2000 schools were badly damaged and when the team was lessened considerably. The hospitals had just two water
arrived 6 weeks after the event, many had been, or were in the trucks to provide a clean supply of water over the first 2 days, then
process of being, demolished. However, many schools were ‘up more water trucks arrived in the following days. A large number of
and running’ when the team arrived having been rebuilt quickly. 2m3 PVC water tanks were installed to provide residents with
Temporary structures and tented accommodation were used to water; the central region was without water for 10 days.
ensure that the education of the children was continued. Many of Communications were disrupted as 805 of the mobile phone
the damaged school buildings were constructed with a timber roof masts and aerial lines were brought down in the quake, however,
and corrugated sheeting over masonry infill walls with thin concrete ground telephone lines were little affected.
columns to support the masonry. However it was found that many
infill walls were not tied in to the frame (i.e. built separated from the Conclusions
frame) and consequently collapsed in one go. In one school it was It was suggested that there is still a significant risk of another
found that there were no connections between the beams and the severe earthquake in the near future, in the region of 8.5 on the
roof and in another no interlocking of the bricks in the masonry Richter scale, as not all the energy stored in subducted zone has
walls. All this contributed to structural failure. been dissipated by the latest rupture. This is 30 times more
In general the conclusions were that the structural materials powerful than the latest earthquake.
played a part in the level of damage; the richer schools built with Many failures were due to the poor quality of costruction and /or
higher quality materials faired better while the poor quality school materials and in major structures; building regulations and codes
buildings suffered. The main Padang hospital, the Dr M. Djamil had not been applied. Government buildings fared particularly
badly in this respect. Although people died as a direct result of
3 Soft storey failure, smooth rebar used instead building collapse, one of the major causes to loss of life was the
of ribbed in a damaged Government building landslides that resulted from the earthquake.
in Padang
4 Soil subsidence causes cracks along a coastal
road
3 4
Report
We often take the built environment for granted without realising course provides a route for accelerating progress towards
the benefits it brings. It clearly influences our quality of life; well professional maturity.
designed schools contribute to educational attainment, hospitals The objectives of the course include giving students a strategic
to patient outcomes, offices to productivity, public open space to overview of the construction industry and of the production and
recreation and well-being, while attractive towns and cities management of built environment, as well as a critical perspective
generate civic pride and tourism. The converse is also true; more on the everyday knowledge and assumptions made in practice.
policing and healthcare are needed where the built environment is The course also raises awareness of current research in the sector
poor. and its potential and limitations, and provides an introduction to
Alongside the issue of social outcomes is the increasingly professional ethics and the responsibilities owed by engineers and
important risk of environmental impact, including climate change. their colleagues to society as a whole.
We urgently need to be providing facilities that minimise resource Various practical skills are promoted including leadership and the
use in their construction, minimise energy and water requirements, effective management of teams, competence in negotiating, and
and limit damage to the natural world. effective communication including presentation skills. A reflective
The Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) attitude is encouraged that may include developing awareness of
masters course aims to equip all its students with the skills needed the different and sometimes conflicting motivations and value
to meet these challenges. An underlying principle of the course is systems of other designers, of clients, and of wider project
that this demands effective interdisciplinary understanding and stakeholders.
collaborative working. The course aims to help members of multi-
disciplinary teams to work together effectively, harnessing their Course organisation and origins
knowledge and expertise in the design and delivery of an IDBE is a 2-year part-time masters course offered jointly by the
integrated product. Departments of Engineering and Architecture at the University of
Traditionally, some of these abilities develop with experience. But
commercial pressures are often such that individuals can now find
themselves in positions of considerable responsibility early in their 1 During the residential weeks, students tackle
careers. Most of those taking the course have demonstrated their a design project in small mixed discipline teams
abilities in their core disciplines and are moving to strategic and 2 Dr Torwong Chenvidyakarn discusses daylight
leadership roles for which they may well be under-prepared. The modelling with a team in the workshop
1 2
Educational Trust Bursary Kate West, Structural Engineer and Design Team Leader at Arup
The Institution’s Educational Trust sponsors an annual bursary After 7 years practising as a structural engineer and as an
for a structural engineer on the IDBE programme. Since its Associate with Arup (London office), I am now working in a new
introduction six students have benefited from the Educational Design Team Leadership (DTL) role. When I started the course, I
Trust bursary which has proved successful in assisting talented was working in this emerging area as an Assistant DTL on the
young engineers. Fergus McCormick and Kate West have 609M€ Dublin Airport T2 project. Two of the key reasons I
provided the following feedback on their experiences. undertook the IDBE course were to expand my understanding
of other AEC professions and to develop my leadership and
Fergus McCormick, Structural Engineering Leader at Buro Happold integrated design skills. Using the knowledge gained on the
The Masters course was proactive in enabling participants to course in conjunction with my earlier DTL experience, I’ve
clarify professional objectives. For myself, this resulted in helped to develop the new Arup group which focuses on the
moving to a practice which leads many sports engineering delivery of design team leadership services. Now as a DTL of
projects. I currently lead the structural engineering team for the large projects, I am able to more effectively lead multidisciplinary
2012 Olympic Stadium and actively pursue opportunities in teams. One of my most recent career highlights was leading on
stadium engineering in a number of emerging markets. the 400M€ Dublin Northern Quarter urban regeneration scheme
where I was responsible for over 35 designers, comprising
architects, engineers and specialist consultants.
Project
2 3 4
5 3D analysis:
rendered view
6 Block A Completed
Balconies and
Towers
5 6
of synthetic wood made from recycled plastic milk cartons. They 2011 and will benefit from sailing related infrastructure for the 2012
were bolted to either a continuous vertical support or alternative Olympic Games.
moment bracket at locations where balconies were required to be
self supporting (Fig 4). Conclusion
The remaining significant structural challenge related to the The redevelopment of the HMS Osprey barracks reflects a bold
extension of the existing lift cores to provide panoramic viewing move by Comer Homes to create a home of sailing and backdrop
platforms to exclusive penthouse apartments. to the 2012 Olympics event.
These were designed adopting box section vertical members, The substantial existing buildings challenged a refurbishment
strapped down to the existing concrete shafts. Analysis using 3D solution and which necessarily had to overcome the limitations
models enabled framing to be developed to provide necessary presented by the original tunnel form construction.
stiffness for the glass enclosures under significant wind exposure. Phase I, the larger part of the development, is now complete
(Fig 5). (Fig 6) and presents an impressive form. The success of this
The development includes a leisure centre which has been development as a whole is dependent on the revitalising of the
located with minimal structural works in the position of the former housing market and impact of the Olympic flame. Let us hope that
underground loading dock. this provides an exciting sailing venue in an area which will greatly
Phase II of the development comprising a further 150 benefit from the related economic growth.
apartments in the former Ward Blocks reflects a continuation of the
design principles applied to Phase I. Demolition works are now Credits
Client: Comer Homes Ltd
complete together with fabrication of the replacement/reframe first Engineer: Pure Structures Ltd
floor. Architect: ADP, Yeovil Office
Your letters
Verulam
Support of cavity walls My thanks to George for providing this King post roof trusses were often used at around
explanation and my special thanks to Simon 2.4m centres with purlins to span between the party
Course who initially raised the issue. walls and the trusses.
The determination of loading on supporting Unfortunately, despite the numerous Sometimes trussed purlins were designed to span
beams to cavity walls has bedevilled structural comments, the debate has not advanced very between party walls thus negating the need for any
engineers for many years. Judging from the much towards reaching a consensus on the issue intermediate truss.
numerous solutions offered to this column it is which would be most useful when applying for I recall in the 1960s trussed rafters at 2ft centres
apparent that a consensus on this issue has yet Building Control. If NHBC could possibly allow us being introduced to domestic construction. In the
to be reached. This latest offering comes from to publish the abovementioned caveats in this 1940s and 1950s the trusses would have plywood
Jon Oates writing from Devon. column then the debate will no doubt continue gussets. In the mid-1960s when prefabricated
amongst our members and a consensus hopefully housing was in its heyday, trusses were manufactured
I was surprised to find NHBC giving guidance on achieved. with nailed gusset plates. It was in the early 1970s
specific designs but I for one agree with Simon’s that trussed rafters at 600mm centres with pressed
comments. I will always design for the heaviest nailed plate gussets became popular for domestic
loaded beam to ensure that expected deflections can CPD online use.
be limited. I have never put a lot of faith in the Modern-day roof type is a description I would give
connection between the two other than to keep them to a ‘trussed rafter type of construction’, where the
in place during installation. Although this may result in Following Les Milist’s comments on the virtues of trusses are designed by computer programme used
a less than economic design it is more favourable to Online CPD (Verulam 1/12/2009), Peter Ryan by the trussed rafter manufacturer. Of course the
me than using a small beam for the lighter load. I writing from Co. Dublin has added a useful overall roof design needs to be considered by the roof
would also say that where possible I will specify a postscript. designer who will need to examine the code of
single beam with top plate for example as this then practice recommendations in the most recent British
removes any reliance on the relative stiffness of the I refer to Les Milist’s comments about online CPD, Standard Timber Code for Trussed Rafters.
two leaves or perhaps a bottom plate to support a particularly where he mentions about a charge being The roof trusses designed in the 1940s and 1950s
much lighter inner leaf. Needless to say padstones levied for the course – something that Verulam used bolted timber connections and suitable timber
will take in both beams according to the design appears to accept as inevitable. Engineers Ireland, of connectors to join twin members together. These
requirements. which I am a Fellow, offers free online access to most galvanised steel connectors varied in design but
In retro installations I tend to design for a stiffer of its CPD lectures. These lectures mostly take place usually were circular plates either with sharp teeth or
beam in any case and as each beam is usually in the head office in Clyde Road, Dublin, but can be were of the split ring type. The ‘Bulldog’ toothed plate
installed separately then any differential deflections viewed online at any time by members at no cost. connectors were either single or double sided
have usually occurred before the beams are bolted This makes CPD fully accessible and attractive to depending upon the design shear values required.
together. members without any need to travel. The Institution
With respect to torsion, of course, this is also an should consider this as a service to members. My thanks to Eric for providing his definition of
aspect of designing beams for de-stablising loads so I the various terms associated with timber pitched
think is well catered for. I will be interested to see how I thank Peter for bringing the issue of CPD course roof construction and for allowing us to publish
the Eurocodes deal with this – so far I have only fees to our attention. The Irish arrangements for the attached photograph of a typical King Post
battled through concrete steel and timber! Is anyone supporting professional CPD Online lectures has roof truss (see image above).
out there designing masonry to the Eurocode yet I much to be admired.
wonder?
Presidential Address
Opportunities within change: looking beyond
the immediate
Norman Train, BSc(Eng),CEng, FIStructE, FICE, FCIArb rather than a red card mistake, and there was nothing for it but to
confess this and keep moving forward. In a framed box, I stated
Keywords: Presidential address, Structural Engineering, IStructE, Communication, Eurocodes, CPD, how this piece of information would have affected some of my
Recession, Sustainability previous design decisions and how, with more time, I would have
© Norman C. Train checked these out. Luckily the gods and the examiners took pity
on me.
Presented on 15 January 2010 at Institution HQ, 11 Upper Belgrave The structure can be sophisticated, eloquent and economic, but
Street, London SW1X 8BH if it is late, ambiguous or difficult to construct, it will have failed.
Whether dealing with examiners or clients, it is crucial to recognise
that information and dialogue are arguably more important than the
Introduction design. In the CM Exam, many candidates fail to appreciate that
30 years ago I recall sitting apprehensively just before the start of the objective is not to produce an edifying structure but to
the CM examination. I was worn out having lugged sports bags full communicate to the examiners their ability to process a design.
of structural references half way around London. I was too anxious
to conceive of anything beyond the next 7 hours and had no Observation 2: An engineer in his time plays many parts, his acts being
inkling that my examination desk might lead eventually to this four ages
lectern. I had no idea where my chartered career would take me, Professor Les Clarke in his Presidential Address candidly traced
or the support I would find in being a member of this Institution, the changing phases of his research career from individual
the friends that I would make and the honour that my peers would structural elements to complete structures, to the sociological
bestow on me in electing me the 90th President of this august aspects of processes. This is true of all engineers and I wish to
Institution. add a fourth element, people. So, misquoting Shakespeare, and
In this address I want to explore how we can become more taking an Elizabethan guild as a theme gives my second
‘outward facing’, by examining our relationship with others and the observation (Table 1):
opportunities that arise within change. Potential recipients and
Apprentice Elemental Design Part
beneficiaries will include disconnected members, other
professional groups, and society as a whole. Some opportunities Journeyman Holistic design Whole
are of the here and now, whereas others relate to an extended Craftsman Processes Complex
time frame, hence the second part of my title – looking beyond the Master People Unbelievably complex
immediate. In exploring a number of opportunities, I hope to fulfil
my Vice Presidental election manifesto pledges, which related to Table 1 The four ages of engineering
concerns about Eurocodes, mandatory reporting of CPD and
raising status. But before looking at these, as some scene setting, We all start by grappling with individual elements and gaining an
I wish to share with you a unit of time, a concise definition and understanding of the part. By the time graduates sit their
three observations. professional exam, they need to be able to integrate the parts into
I started 40 years ago as a chainman working for John Laing in a coherent whole.
a gap year before going to the University of Leeds to read For the Chartered or Incorporated Structural Engineer, the
Architectural Engineering. With the 30 years from my exam, my challenges evolve from a strictly technical solution to managing the
career to date comprises 4 decades, 3 of which have been as a process within design teams. Teams need programming, input
chartered structural engineer. Consequently, I am adopting a information and resources and their deliverables need validation
decade as my unit of time within this address. Decades can be and verification. With time, the teams will themselves mature and
particularly apt when looking forward. grow with others taking responsibility for process, leaving the
master with the ultimate responsibility of managing people. And so
Definition: Structural Engineering is about managing loading paths it has always been. Wren had Hawksmoor and Woodroffe; Marc
Leslie Robertson and Michel Virlogeux, both Institution Gold Brunel had his son Isambard who, in turn was assisted by Daniel
Medallists, have described structural design as ‘managing loading Gooch.
paths’. This can however embrace all facets of a structure Even in the age of the computer, it is design teams and not
including: managing concept, analysis and validation; managing individuals that deliver solutions and it is the collaborative
erection load paths and temporary works; managing materials cooperation with constructors that sees the physical realisation of
during the life of the structure; managing change during the design. Such teams have their own complexities and dynamics
alterations, and managing disassembly. My concise definition and solutions need clear communication, an appreciation of the
relates to the delivery of structures and the management of assets, viewpoint of others and confidence to compromise.
but, as a practising engineer, I make no apology for this; managing Clearly different skills and competencies are required for the
loading paths is what I am about. As I discuss later, sustainability different ‘engineering ages’ and this needs to be recognised in our
will also require a greater emphasis on management of assets and professional development. Mentoring and teaching also provide
this is a big opportunity for structural engineers. opportunities for the tutor to learn from his or her student. Learning
from others leads to my third observation.
Observation 1: It is not the structural solution but communication that is
paramount Observation 3: Site operatives probably already know the answer; all you
Returning to my CM exam, 3 decades ago, this Presidency was have to do is ask them
going nowhere, when towards the end of the morning I realised I This relates to my first structural design. In my first summer
had missed a piece of data in the question. This was a yellow card vacation at Leeds, I worked in the USA at a Kentucky materials
2
2 Clapham Junction rail disaster, 12 December 1988
(Courtesy Getty Images)
3
3 CROSS has a web portal making it easy to
submit reports
rules of thumb, they put engineering judgment at the centre of beacon of knowledge in society, we need to earn and maintain its
design validation. The downside is their theoretical models are respect and hence this is my second outward facing area. In the
more complex than previous national codes and there is a big modern world, no professional can claim continuing competence
perception problem in the changeover. without additional study and skill acquisition. My four engineering
Managing changeover whilst maintaining a safe service is one of ages demonstrate this.
the most difficult challenges to any infrastructure system. Compulsory CPD was introduced for all practising members of
Unfortunately there are a number of examples of failures where the Institution in 1996 with an additional Rule of Conduct. The
such change management has been inadequate. I have been problem in the early years was that training course providers
involved in the investigations of two such failures; Flixborough and hijacked CPD, equating it to their courses. CPD is far wider than
Clapham Junction (Fig 2). this and includes work-based learning, self directed study, horizon
In my career, new standards have been changed one at a time broadening and courses/events/seminars. Even the last category
and often one section at a time. The difficulty and the weakness in does not require fee paying courses as web streaming of meetings
the Eurocode enterprise is changing the whole system of 10 titles helps all to attain the necessary balance to their CPD without the
and 58 parts whilst maintaining the required competencies, safety need to sign up to courses.
and audit demanded of commercial design offices. Even paring the I confess that I was one of the laissez-faire CPD exponents in
number of Eurocode parts down to the 10 or so that most the 1990s, when ‘doing’ and ‘planning’ were more important than
designers will use regularly, it is still a scaling factor of 10 on what ‘recording’. My Road-to-Damascus revelation was the Kennedy
we have done to date. Inquiry into the Bristol heart scandal in 2001, where the surgeons
Given that competency and safety levels have to be maintained, were below national standards and arrogant in their justification as
I believe that it is too large and too diverse a dataset to change all to why they did not need to undertake any training or CPD.
at once. There either needs to be a series of stepping stones, as a Whilst society demands ongoing competence from all its
route into the Eurocodes, or recognition that two loading datasets professionals, this duty is strongest for those with responsibility for
will be required, using different partial safety factors, for the two health or safety. As guardians of safety in the built environment,
different suites of design standards with all the ensuing safety structural engineers have a special responsibility to society. Our
issues that arise from this. professional exams are the gold standard of technical structural
My concern is that none of the Eurocode promoters have competence; but we need to burnish this by demonstrating our
addressed or even seemed to have recognised this. There is a ongoing maintenance of our knowledge and skills.
need for a big reality check and we need to use the transition Compulsory reporting is required in a number of jurisdictions and
period up to the Building Regulation revision in 2013 to our the choice is whether the Institution leads or waits for other
advantage. governments to impose compulsory reporting on us. I believe we
The Institution needs to be vigilant in monitoring the transition should lead and I will be a strong advocate for the mandatory
and to give guidance where voids, conflicts or ambiguities arise. reporting of CPD in the lead up to the EGM which is to be held
We also need to understand what the rest of Europe is doing. later in the year.
Possibilities that could be considered include:
– development of a a web based Members’ forum for rapid Reporting to CROSS
sharing of concerns and consensual development of Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety (CROSS) again may
interpretations and possible solutions. The Eurocode Expert not appear to be an obvious outward facing activity. It is however
website could be the vehicle for such a forum. about outward facing communication of the individual and the
– Route maps for assimilation of the various sections of the codes. collective responsibility of the profession. I make no apologies for
– Examples which demonstrate to practitioners that there are clear promoting CROSS in that I believe that society expects nothing
benefits from embracing the greater complexity. less from us. CROSS is now a web based, user friendly portal and
Whilst this issue is technically focused, the opportunity is submitting reports is easy2 (Fig 3). There is much international
outward facing in that we need to engage and communicate with interest in CROSS and it has the potential to become the
the Eurocode providers and promoters to ensure a safe transition international database of structural safety. I recommend it to all
to implementation. members world-wide.
Although I have made three submissions to CROSS, I confess I
Compulsory reporting of CPD think I could have done better. We all need to raise both
Compulsory reporting of CPD may again seem a strange outward awareness of and commitment to CROSS and whilst the details of
facing item but I believe that if we intend to be recognised as a individual reports need to remain confidential, I would like to see a
time when engineers not only take pride in the number of reports
that they have made but feel empowered to include the number,
but not the detail, as a KPI on their CVs. I also look forward to
future presidents putting my rather paltry number of CROSS
reports to shame.
redundancies across the board. Teams built up over many years 4 The Northside bridge in Workington,
Cumbria, the collapse of which in the heavy
have been torn apart, jobs have been lost and colleagues have rain of November 2009 was attributed to
departed. There is nothing I can do to soften the pain, the global warming
uncertainty, the anxiety, the crushing of hope but I can
acknowledge that they all exist and are all too real. Stress affects
us all in different ways. I know from my own experience the mood Institution needs to be bold and imaginative in the way it works
swings of the last year. In naming them I hope we can talk about with and offers opportunities to them. Fostering continuing contact
the effects of stress and give some empathetic support to those with those on a career sabbatical would give a clear message not
who may be suffering with anxieties. only to our members but to potential members and students
I make two promises regarding this recession. First, it is finite. I considering a career in structural engineering.
cannot say when your particular market sectors or location will see
the upturn, but it is coming. We are moving out of the siege Climate change, embodied CO2 and sustainability
mentality of the last year and most economies posted positive These are the fourth of my outward facing topics. Collectively they
GDP growth in Q3 of 2009. Even in the UK, the housing sector is constitute the key global challenge and uncertainty (Fig 4). I believe
moving forward as part of the private sector renaissance. Second, structural engineers are uniquely positioned to lead on two aspects
as individuals, as organisations and as the Institution, we are all relating to them, and the Institution on a third.
stronger for it. We are all leaner, more receptive and ready for the Global warming arises from greenhouse gas emissions of which
upturn. There was a need for some adjustment to the overheated CO2 is the most significant (Fig 5). The energy expended in the
first half of this decade and now that the hard decisions have been manufacture of goods or construction of buildings can be
taken, we are all ready for the opportunities of growth. If you have expressed in terms of their CO2 emissions. This needs to be the
been made redundant, I am sorry. I hope that now the uncertainty full life energy of the product or material from raw material to either
has disappeared, you can plan your future. Whether as a sole disposal or reuse3. This is the embodied CO2 .
trader or in a new position of employment or still searching, I wish The concept is good, however there are no accepted standards
you all the best. and considerable variance in how the full-life energy should be
calculated, particularly with disposal2. For example:
Isolated and disconnected members – How much should the production emissions of cement or steel
The recession has caused fragmentation in the employment be offset by recycling?
market with many more recent sole traders. This is my third – Is timber always carbon neutral?
outward facing area in that there is an immediate need to nurture – Should nuclear generation include the storage and protection of
and encourage the formation of sole trader groups within the spent fuel rods for multi-millennia?
branches and divisions, and I hope that as I visit the branches, I – What standard of reinstatement should be included in quarrying?
will meet representatives of such groups. Structural engineers understand materials, their life expectancy
Sole trader groups operate as self-supporting networks, and maintenance requirements. We are thus in the best position to
respecting each individual’s contacts and work sources, but undertake life energy assessment of structural materials and
providing collective support. Lancashire and Cheshire Branch has components, factoring in maintenance, adaptions, refurbishments
had a successful group for many years. It assists its members with and recycling or reuse at the end of the facility’s life. We must not
holiday and sickness cover and acts as a shared source of allow others to highjack the agenda relating to embodied energy of
knowledge and experience. It also provides a network of engineers structural materials.
to talk through a detail or a difficulty on the old adage that a Structural materials account for the greatest mass in a building
problem shared is a problem halved. and over half of the embodied CO2; this can increase to over 70%
The other group of potentially isolated members are those taking if quasi-structural elements such as cladding, glazing and
a career sabbatical because of family commitments. I prefer the partitions are included. On bridges the structural materials become
term ‘career sabbatical’ to ‘career break’ since the latter has effectively 100%. Having ownership of the majority of embodied
negative connotations of being ‘broken’ and ‘finished’. Whilst they CO2 means we can lead on this for the whole of the built
have nothing to do with the recession, it is about the Institution environment. This is our first opportunity.
being outward facing and caring in that we want to encourage In managing loading paths, we, more than any other
such members back into the industry when their circumstances construction professionals, are involved in the adaptation of
permit. existing assets. As an example, in the UK, there are over 22M
Those taking a career sabbatical may appreciate maintaining houses, 60% of which were built before 1965. Approximately
some contact with their local branch and potential employers. 200 000 houses are being built each year, representing less than
They could assist in mentoring local graduates on their CPD 1% of the housing stock4. Consequently new build will have limited
schemes, imparting their experience, time management skills, and impact on the overall energy expenditure. Assessment and
offering guidance and advice without conflicts of confidentiality. adaption of existing buildings is where we as structural engineers
There is obvious symbiosis in encouraging members on career have the key role in retrofitting energy improvements to existing
sabbaticals to maintain their contact with the Institution and the buildings. This is our second opportunity. Retrofitting insulation to
Drilling deep at Rosyth New design of decking Bahrain’s paradise islands Aiding CFA piling problems
Dock fixing launched project enters final phase
Lindapter has announced the expansion of its Hanson UK has launched a new CFA piling
decking fixing range with the development of concrete to help contractors overcome the
the Type MF, allowing building services to be issues related to sinking cages into bored
suspended from Metfloor 60 and 80 profiles concrete piles in difficult ground conditions.
produced by CMF. Hanson Easypile, developed in conjunction
The new fixing is designed to be installed with admixture suppliers Sika, increases the
within seconds and is adjustable onsite without speed of piling by reducing the number of cage
the requirement of specialist labour, expensive failures in dry and dense ground conditions
tools or power. Contractors working on the prone to drawing moisture from the concrete
£1.45bn Westfield Stratford City development piles.
and the new £8.75M A&E unit at Withybush James Moorhouse, Hanson’s national
General Hospital have already placed orders. International design and engineering commercial manager said, ‘Hanson Easypile is
Type MF, now in sizes M6, M8 and M10, is consultancy Atkins has been awarded the the result of over 12 months development and
said to preserve the strength of the decking architectural and infrastructure design of the incorporates ground granulated blastfurnace
profile with no possibility of delamination final phase of Durrat al Bahrain, a 20km2 slag (GGBS) to replace some of the cement
(separating the steel from the concrete) and reclaimed series of paradise islands at the content and the SikaPile Pak admixture system.
safe working loads are independently approved. southern tip of Bahrain. ‘It is designed specifically to improve the
Rigorous quality procedures ensure a secure Delivery of phase III requires the design and workability of the concrete in dry and dense
connection with a capacity of 1.47kN per fixing, documentation of infrastructure works, ground conditions that are known to draw out
Installation of a specially designed calculated at a safety factor of 3:1. landscaping and architectural engineering of the moisture and create problems placing the
permanent cage at Rosyth The company’s latest addition is compatible 570 luxury villas plus facility buildings on the cages.’
with all major decking manufacturers including remaining four of the planned 13 islands. The product has been trialled with Stent
Bachy Soletanche’s tender winning design saw CMF, Corus, Kingspan, SMD and Richard Lees. Completion of the two inner petal islands and Foundations, part of Balfour Beatty Ground
the company installing a piled retaining wall as two outer atoll islands, covering a total land Engineering, on a project in Manchester where
part of the entrance extension to a large scale area of over 800 000m², will bring an end to ground conditions were glacial till overlying
Rosyth Dock expansion project. Awarded by the construction of the luxury residential resort. typical weathered Sherwood sandstone and
main contractor Bam Nuttall, the geotechnical Atkins began working on this signature feedback has been very positive.
firm’s innovative solution used dowels to extend development for Bahrain in 2004 and
piles into the extremely strong dolerite rock. construction of phases I and II is progressing
The overall project requires intensive well, with a number of villa owners having now
engineering works to increase the capacity of moved into their new homes. It is expected the
Number 1 Dock and widen the current entrance construction of phase III will start in 2010.
by 4m as preparation for the final assembly of
two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers at Further information: Katie Hodge,
Rosyth.The project expansion programme Further information: Lindapter International, Regional Communications & PR Manager,
involved installing 50m of secant pile wall to a Lindsay House, Brackenbeck Road, Bradford, Atkins, Middle East & India (tel: +971 (0)4405
25m depth, with 3m dowel extensions, installed BD7 2NF (tel: +44 (0)1274 521 444; fax: +44 9300; email:katie.hodge@atkinsglobal.com;
behind the existing entrance wall. The next step (0)1274 521 130; web: www.lindapter.com). web: www.atkins-me.com;). Further information: Hanson (web:
was to excavate between the temporary piled www.hanson.com/uk).
wall and existing dock wall and then construct
the new dock entrance. ‘Anchoring’ after an Structural sections
The wall construction involved 50, 1.3m expanded portfolio specified for new brewery Concrete database covers
diameter piles being installed, incorporating a ‘practical’ middleground
permanent cage with a tube in the centre of the Simpson Strong-Tie has expanded its already
pile wide enough to insert a 300mm diameter comprehensive product portfolio and is now a A new, web-orientated knowledge base has
dowel. A string of drill rods was placed down leading distributor of the German LIEBIG anchor been launched for the Construction Industry.
the tube and a rock socket was formed with a bolts and anchoring systems. With more than Key2concrete is targeted at specifiers and users
‘down the hole hammer’. A 6m long dowel was 600 product lines, LIEBIG is renowned for its of concrete, particularly precast concrete, and
then grouted into the pile and the rock. high quality and innovative heavy fastening and aims to fill a void in the range of information
anchoring system range. available.
Further information: Fiona Shackleton, The range features: Undercut Anchor The site, developed in association with the
Manifest Communications (tel: 01484 469 601; Systems, Expansion Anchor Systems and British Precast Concrete Federation, consists of
email: fiona@manifestcomms.co.uk). Adhesive Anchor Systems, all of which are used a series of data sheets covering a broad range
in a number of highly demanding applications of subjects such as connections and fittings,
such as nuclear power plants and off-shore Steadmans, suppliers of cold rolled sections, environment, joints and interfaces, lifting and
drilling platforms. has provided both structural sections and transportation and others. They may be viewed
Consulting Partner status The range also includes the ‘Ultraplus’ cladding products for the new office, warehouse on screen as well as being downloaded as a pdf
awarded to CAD provider anchor – which is used for exceptionally high and brewing facility of the Inveralmond Brewery file. The author is Cliff Billington, Technical
loads in cracked or non-cracked concrete and in Perth, Scotland. Director of J&P Building Systems, who has
Leading CAD solutions provider, Excitech, has the ‘Superplus’ anchor which can be used in Located on a brownfield site near the existing spent nearly 40 years in the precast industry.
been given Autodesk Consulting Partner status safety critical application of a lower load. brewery, the building will eventually During this time he has been involved in most
under the Autodesk Channel Services Program. Coinciding with the launch of the Liebig accommodate the entire operation when it aspects of precast, such as beam and block
This follows Autodesk’s extension of the range, Simpson Strong-Tie UK has produced a relocates to the new purpose built premises. flooring, hollow-core flooring, double-tees,
programme outside of the US and recognises comprehensive 58-page technical catalogue Over 600m of Steadmans’ 170/16 sleeved frames, and architectural cladding.
Excitech’s expertise and experience in providing and launched a dedicated website, both of cold rolled ‘Z’ purlin system plus 100m of Precast concrete frequently uses proprietary
consulting services to its customers. which provide full Liebig product information 200/20 eaves beams were specified for the roof systems for connections etc, and manufacturers
This recognition by Autodesk of Excitech’s and offer access to additional customer structure. 550m of the company’s 140/16 usually provide information on their own
skills builds upon the recent announcement of support. galvanised cold rolled ‘C’ sections were used for products. At the other end of the spectrum are
Excitech Consulting as a dedicated division the side walls of the new brewery. The reference books that cover the design of
using the experience developed and delivered Further information: Simpson Strong-Tie (tel: composite roof and wall panels for the facility structures using precast elements. In the middle
on many leading UK construction industry 01827 255 600: web: http://www.simpson- were also supplied. though is the day-to-day practical knowledge
projects. liebig.com). Crieff-based Campbell of Doune was the that usually only comes with experience, and it
Under the Autodesk Program, Excitech will project’s structural engineer, whilst the main is this area that the site is aimed at.
gain access to Autodesk Consulting intellectual contractor and steelwork fabricator was
property which will complement Excitech’s Product items on these pages are selected McFadzean Ltd from Perth. Further information: Cliff Billington, Technical
existing methodologies and expertise. and edited in good faith from press releases Director, Key2Concrete & J&P Building Systems
supplied by the companies, and the Journal Further information: Steadmans (tel: 01697 (tel: +44 (0)7841 361 485; email:
Further information: Excitech (web: accepts no responsibility for the product 478 277, email: info@steadmans.co.uk; web: cliff@key2concrete.com; web:
www.excitech.co.uk/cons2). information supplied. www.steadmans.co.uk). www.key2concrete.com).