June 2021

Volume 99 | Issue 6

Profile: Caitlin Mueller

Supporting female staff

Analysing and justifying

existing structures

Easy does it
Delivering an elegant, low-carbon bridge through
an efficient structural form and considered
approach to detailing, material use and buildability

Cover_TSE JUNE 2021_The Structural Engineer.indd 1 19/05/2021 16:56

 Upcoming online
CPD courses

Eurocode 5: Managing Contract law for Structural

connections engineering engineers engineering
and advanced projects 7 July with bamboo
topics in timber 29-30 June 10:00 – 17:30 BST 13 July
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TSE.June21.002.indd 2 18/05/2021 16:22

 28
Upfront
5 Editorial
6 News
8 What you told us about The Structural Engineer

Climate emergency
10 Climate jargon buster

Professional guidance
12 Making a success of your webinar

Technical
14 Analysing existing structures: a brief
introduction
18 What can you do if you are convinced a

24
structure will work but can’t prove it to code?

Industry CPD
24 Design approach for structural strengthening
of reinforced concrete structures using fibre-
reinforced polymers (FRP)

Project focus
28 Design and construction of Hams Way
Footbridge, Worcester

Opinion
36 Profile: Caitlin Mueller
39 Viewpoint: Creating a healthy workplace –
supporting and retaining female talent
42 Verulam

At the back
45
47
48
Diary dates
Spotlight on Structures
Products & Services
39
Volume 99 │ Issue 6 │June 2021

49 Services Directory

36
50 TheStructuralEngineer Jobs
COVER: JOHN REES | COWI

18
3
thestructuralengineer.org | June 2021

CONTENTS_TSE JUNE 2021_The Structural Engineer.indd 3 19/05/2021 16:57

 thestructuralengineer.org/jobs
The Structural Engineer Jobs is the official jobs board
for The Institution of Structural Engineers.
The perfect place to find the latest

350
structural engineering vacancies.
posted on
jobs average
every month

TSE.June21.004.indd 4 18/05/2021 11:20

 Editorial Upfront

PRESIDENT
Don McQuillan
BSc(Eng), CEng, FIStructE, FICE, FIAE, FIEI,
FCIHT, FConsE, MAPM, MAE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Martin Powell

EDITORIAL
HEAD OF PUBLISHING
Lee Baldwin

MANAGING EDITOR
Robin Jones
t: +44 (0) 20 7201 9822
e: [email protected] Will Arnold
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Head of Climate Action, Institution of Structural Engineers
Ian Farmer
t: +44 (0) 20 7201 9121
e: [email protected]

From revolution
ADVERTISING
DISPLAY SALES
t: +44 (0) 20 7880 7632
e: [email protected]

to evolution
RECRUITMENT SALES
t: +44 (0) 20 7880 6235
e: [email protected]

DESIGN
SENIOR DESIGNER
Nicholas Daley

PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
TWO YEARS HAVE PASSED since countries around requirements, professional exams and code of
Jane Easterman the world began formally declaring that we are in a conduct; along with developing plans for further
EDITORIAL ADVISORY GROUP climate emergency, and the global response keeps supporting CPD, and a revised strategy for our
Will Arnold MIStructE evolving and maturing. Twelve major economies Climate Emergency Task Group. All these activities are
Premma Makanji MIStructE
Allan Mann FIStructE now have net-zero legislation either passed or being geared towards ensuring that sustainability is secured
Chris O’Regan FIStructE
Angus Palmer MIStructE
debated, and 20 more have official government policy as a pillar of excellence alongside health and safety,
Simon Pitchers FIStructE to the same effect. The UK, USA and other countries aligning us with the UN Sustainable Development
Eleana Savvidi MIStructE
continue to announce ambitious Goals through globally
Price (2021 subscription)
Institutional: £465.00
near-term decarbonisation targets, responsible engineering.
Personal (print only): £130 and COP26 in Glasgow is now Finally, I hope you will notice
WE ARE
Personal (online only): £130
Personal (Student Member): £40 just a few months away. this philosophy being reflected
I am incredibly proud of the in The Structural Engineer as
Single copies: £25 (incl. p&p)
role that our Institution has INTEGRATING we move to embed climate
SUSTAINABILITY
Printed by
Warners Midlands plc
played during this time. Structural action into the main body of
materials are responsible for the magazine, rather than
MORE DEEPLY
The Maltings, Manor Lane Bourne,
Lincolnshire PE10 9PH
United Kingdom around 10% of global emissions, having it as a standalone
© The Institution of Structural Engineers. and it has been important to ACROSS THE section. This approach is
position ourselves at the heart
INSTITUTION’S exemplified in this month’s
The Structural Engineer (ISSN 1466-5123) is
published by IStructE Ltd, a wholly owned
of the conversation around how issue, which features a carbon
ACTIVITIES
subsidiary of The Institution of Structural
Engineers. It is available both in print and online.
these materials will be used in the assessment and analysis within
Contributions published in The Structural
Engineer are published on the understanding
future. Our proactive stance in the the technical write-up of Hams
that the author/s is/are solely responsible for the last two years has ensured that Way Footbridge (page 28), a
statements made, for the opinions expressed
and/or for the accuracy of the contents. we have a respected voice on this topic. profile of MIT professor Caitlin Mueller and her work
Publication does not imply that any statement or
opinion expressed by the author/s reflects the
But at the same time, we are not alone. We see on zero-carbon computer tools (page 36), and articles
views of the Institution of Structural Engineers’ action coming now from across the industry and by Mathai Mathew and Jessica Foster looking at the
Board; Council; committees; members
or employees. No liability is accepted by such around the world, as we support our members’ technical aspects of working with existing buildings
persons or by the Institution for any loss or
damage, whether caused through reliance on
involvement with local institutions, organisations and (pages 14 and 18). I hope you enjoy reading them.
any statement, opinion or omission (textual declarations. In the UK specifically, we are working
or otherwise) in The Structural Engineer, or
otherwise. with the Construction Industry Council to develop
The Institution of Structural Engineers
a cross-industry climate action plan, and we are
International HQ heavily involved with the UK Green Building Council
47–58 Bastwick Street
London EC1V 3PS Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap project. This
United Kingdom
t: +44 (0)20 7235 4535
work will prepare our industry for the shorter-term
e: [email protected] decarbonisation legislation that we all expect to see
The Institution of Structural Engineers introduced in the near future.
Incorporated by Royal Charter
Charity Registered in England and Wales number
We are also preparing for this future by integrating
233392 and in Scotland number SC038263 sustainability more deeply across the Institution’s
activities, through the work of our committees and
panels, and within our standards of competency for
which we are held in such high regard. This includes
reviewing our Initial Professional Development

5
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 Upfront News

Notice of the 112th Annual General Meeting

Notice is hereby given Technician Member £185 defines ‘Voting Member’ as a Chartered or
that the 112th Annual General Meeting of the Graduate, Companion, an Incorporated Structural Engineer or a
Institution of Structural Engineers will be held Student (working) £178 Technician Member or a Graduate whose
online* on Thursday 15 July 2021 at midday subscription and other membership payments
(BST) for the transaction, by Voting Members, The annual subscriptions for 2022 represent have been paid.
of the business set out below. a 3.5% increase on the subscription rates
for 2021. Explanatory Note 3 – The financial statements
1) To read the notice convening the meeting. and balance sheet, the auditors’ report and
2) To read, confirm and sign the minutes of By order of the Board the report of the Board are on the website
the General Meeting held on 6 May 2021 (www.istructe.org/about-us/how-we-are-
(published in The Structural Engineer, D.M. POWELL structured/annual-reports/); copies may be
June 2021). Chief Executive 1 June 2021 obtained on application to the Chief Executive
3) To receive the financial statements and at the Institution of Structural Engineers, 47–58
balance sheet for the year 2020, together *The AGM will be presided over by the Bastwick Street, London EC1V 3PS
with the auditors’ report thereon, and the President and delivered by webinar
report of the Board for 2020. with voting capability. To register your Explanatory Note 4 – Under Regulation 5.8,
4) To appoint auditors for the ensuing year attendance, please visit www.istructe. unless a poll is demanded, a motion put to the
and to fix their remuneration. (The Board org/resources/news/annual-general- vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show
recommends Haysmacintyre chartered meeting-2021-notice/ by 11.30am (BST) of hands by a majority of the Voting Members
accountants and registered auditors, at a fee on 15 July 2021. present in person and voting.
to be agreed with them by the Board).
5) To consider and, if thought fit, to adopt the Explanatory Note 1 – Standing Order 5.1 Explanatory Note 5 – In accordance with
following motion: defines a ‘meeting’ as in addition to a physical Regulation 5.3, only the business specified in
assembly of members of a body, a meeting this notice may be considered at the meeting.
THAT, in accordance with the provisions shall include the organised interaction of its
of Regulation 3.1, and in confirmation of members by means of telephone or audio Explanatory Note 6 – The rates of
proposals of the Board, annual subscriptions conferencing or by electronic means, or by subscription paid by retired members are set by
with effect from 1 January 2022, and until means of any other form of technology whether the Board under Regulation 3.5. The rates for
otherwise determined, shall be: in existence at the coming into effect of these 2022 will be: Retired Fellow with The Structural
Fellow £464 standing orders or not. Engineer £94; Retired other grades with The
Member, Associate £364 Structural Engineer £78, Retired without The
Associate-Member £238 Explanatory Note 2 – Regulation 5.7.1 Structural Engineer £41.

Minutes of the passed, and the minutes were show of hands’ by online voting The Chair introduced Special
signed by the Chair. (82.5% in favour; 15% against, Resolution 3 (Removal of
Extraordinary General The Chair explained that the 2.5% abstained). limit on the number of Vice
Meeting purpose for which the meeting The Chair declared Special Presidents). It was proposed
An Extraordinary General had been convened was to Resolution 1 to be carried. by Ian Firth (Past President) and
Meeting of the Institution of seek approval of three separate The Chair introduced Special seconded by John Price (Member
Structural Engineers was held Special Resolutions relating to Resolution 2 (Use of ‘Trustee’ of Council):
online, on Thursday 6 May 2021, amendments to the Institution Board instead of ‘Executive’
with Professor Don McQuillan Bye-laws, of which due notice Board). It was proposed by THAT, subject to the approval of
BSc(Eng), CEng, FICE, FIStructE, had been given and for which a Simon Pitchers (Trustee) and Her Majesty’s Most Honourable
FIAE, FIEI, FCIHT, FConsE, commentary had accompanied seconded by Paul Sexton Privy Council, Bye-law 15 of
MAPM, MAE (President) in the the notice. (Member of Council): the Institution be altered and
chair. The Chair introduced Special amended as set out in Schedule 3
A quorum of more than 10 Resolution 1 (GIStructE). It THAT, subject to the approval of hereto, subject to such changes,
Voting Members was present at was proposed by Tasha Chandler Her Majesty’s Most Honourable if any, as the Privy Council may
any time throughout the meeting (Member) and seconded by Niamh Privy Council, Bye-laws 1 and 16 require and the Board of the
and, at its peak, 208 members McCloskey (Member of Council): of the Institution be altered and Institution accept.
were in attendance. amended as set out in Schedule 2
Martin Powell (Chief Executive) THAT, subject to the approval of hereto, subject to such changes, Following discussion, Special
read the notice convening the Her Majesty’s Most Honourable if any, as the Privy Council may Resolution 3 was carried on ‘a
meeting. It being agreed that Privy Council, Bye-law 2 of require and the Board of the show of hands’ by online voting
the minutes of the 111th Annual the Institution be altered and Institution accept. (87.4% in favour; 5.8% against,
General Meeting, held on 16 July amended as set out in Schedule 1 6.8% abstained).
2020 (published in The Structural hereto, subject to such changes, Following discussion, Special The Chair declared Special
Engineer, September 2020), if any, as the Privy Council may Resolution 2 was carried on ‘a Resolution 3 to be carried.
be taken as read, it was duly require and the Board of the show of hands’ by online voting The business for which the
proposed by Ed Clark (Member Institution accept. (97.7% in favour; 1.1% against, meeting had been convened
of Council) and seconded by 1.1% abstained). having been concluded, the Chair
John Staves (Fellow) that they be Following discussion, Special The Chair declared Special then declared the Extraordinary
confirmed. The resolution was Resolution 1 was carried on ‘a Resolution 2 to be carried. Meeting closed

6
June 2021 | thestructuralengineer.org

News_TSE JUNE 2021_The Structural Engineer.indd 6 19/05/2021 16:59

 News Upfront

Obituary Industry news

PETER CAMPBELL, 1932–2021
FREng, FIStructE, FICE, FIMarE, FIHT, FIDE, MASCE
Pilot launch for ground-
breaking construction Value
Toolkit in UK
It is with great regret that we
report that, following a long
illness, Peter Campbell sadly
passed away on 1 May 2021. The Value Toolkit is a UK to Recovery, the Toolkit will allow
A founding partner of government-backed initiative policymakers and clients to make
Campbell Reith & Partners designed to change the way the informed decisions at every stage of
(the firm which has grown into construction industry thinks about the project lifecycle.
CampbellReith today), Peter and measures value. Developed in The Toolkit was developed by
was known as an academic partnership with over 200 experts the Construction Innovation Hub in
and inspirational engineer. from across government and collaboration with government and
In celebration of his life as industry, it offers clients a structured more than 200 organisations from
one of the greats in structural approach for value-based decision industry, including CLC, CE, ACE,
engineering, this tribute to Peter is the legacy he has making across the investment CECA, IPA, CIOB, RIBA, RICS,
created for CampbellReith as a practice and for the lifecycle of a project, programme or Social Value UK and UKGBC.
engineering industry as a whole – one of education, portfolio. The pilot phase, which will run
ambition, innovation, and exploration and making a The Toolkit has now moved over the next six months, will see the
difference in the world. into a pivotal phase, giving early Toolkit’s process and suite of tools
Educated at Purley Grammar School in the early implementers a chance to pilot the put through a rigorous course of
days and then on to Brixton School of Building and the new approach that will drive better testing with clients and practitioners
Imperial College of Science and Technology, Peter’s social, environmental and economic before the final industry-wide version
career began with Ove Arup & Partners in 1951. In 1960, outcomes from investment in the is unveiled later in the year.
he formed Campbell Reith & Partners together with Ian built environment. Feedback and insights received
Reith. An active senior partner of CampbellReith until his Already, 20 early implementers during the pilot will be used to
retirement in 1992, Peter achieved many accolades both have signed up to be part of the pilot fine-tune the Toolkit to ensure that,
internationally and here in the UK during his working life. phase, including Arup, Mace, Mott when the final version is launched, it
Peter had strong professional links to the island of MacDonald and Morgan Sindall, delivers maximum benefit for as wide
Mauritius. In the mid-1960s, he was responsible for which will see the Toolkit deployed a range of clients as possible.
delivering a new council chamber which had to be on live projects and programme over
completed by 1968 in time for the island’s independence the next six months.
celebrations. This achievement was followed by a new Directly supporting key policy Find out more
546-bed district general hospital and a new Government objectives common to both the at https://
Centre in the late 1960s. In the early 1970s, Peter secured UK government’s Construction constructioninnovationhub.org.
a commission from the World Bank for the design of 22 Playbook and the CLC Roadmap uk/value-toolkit/.
comprehensive schools, each for 1000 pupils, in Trinidad
and the teacher training college on the island of Tobago.
Closer to home, Peter was closely involved with
the major refurbishment of the Japanese Embassy on Industry news
London’s Piccadilly in the early 1980s and with the Cement and concrete industry
redevelopment of The Oval’s west stand in the mid-80s.
sets low-carbon innovation
Ahead of his time, in 1981, Peter invented an innovative
new cladding system and established the museum of challenge
concrete at the Chalk Pits Museum at Amberley, West The Global Cement and Concrete Association
Sussex. As a true scholar and thought leader for our (GCCA) has launched Open Challenge, a global
industry, he taught the theory of structures at Regent programme to bring together tech start-ups
Street Polytechnic in London from 1962–68. and the cement and concrete industry to help
Peter had a close association with the Institution of accelerate the development of innovative new
Structural Engineers throughout his working life and low-carbon technologies.
developed the close links between the Institution and The Open Challenge invites start-ups to pitch
CampbellReith which continue to this day. He was solutions to key challenges for the industry
elected a member of Council in 1979 and was President that require advanced technology, support and
from 1988–89. He was Chairman of the Education and investment and which will have a significant
Examinations Committee from 1982–84 and Secretary of impact on the climate footprint of cement
the Institution’s History Study Group. and concrete. The challenge areas include
Peter was also Chairman of the Association of carbon capture technologies, calcination
Consulting Engineers in 1991–92 and was instrumental technologies – for heating materials during the
in establishing RedR UK, which provides training and concrete manufacturing process, carbon use
technical support to NGOs, aid workers and communities in the construction supply chain and improved
responding to natural and man-made disasters all over the recycling of concrete.
world to this day.

With thanks to CampbellReith. Find out more about the proposed

changes at https://gccassociation.org/
innovandi/openchallenge/.

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 Upfront News

What you told us about

The Structural Engineer
Thank you to everyone who took part in The Structural Engineer reader survey earlier this year.
We received a great response, with 956 of you taking the time to complete it. The spread of
respondents reflected the Institution’s international membership: 60% were based in the UK
and 40% outside the UK; the largest categories were Chartered Members (31%), Graduate
Members (28%) and Student Members (10%). Here’s what you told us…

READING HABITS

How do you read The Structural Engineer? How often do you read it?

3%

18%

Every issue
Most issues
In print Online 51%
Occasionally
42% 32%
Rarely
28%

I WOULD LIKE THE OPTION

Both I don’t read it TO OPT IN OR OUT OF THE
23% 3% PAPER VERSION

CONTENT

Overall rating What you’d like to see more of…

Excellent 26% ✓ technical content and guidance notes

✓ smaller ‘ordinary’/residential projects
Very good 49%
✓ low-carbon design
Good 19% ✓ sketches and structural behaviour
problems
Average 4%
✓ failures and their causes
Poor 1% ✓ industry news
✓ digital design techniques
8
June 2021 | thestructuralengineer.org

Reader Survey_TSE JUNE 2021_The Structural Engineer.indd 8 19/05/2021 17:29

 News Upfront

Most popular sections

Technical 1% 5% 17% 35% 41%

IT IS AN
Professional guidance 2% 10% 23% 35% 30% OUTSTANDING
PUBLICATION.
Climate emergency 7% 18% 31% 25% 19%
PLEASE KEEP UP
Project focus 2% 13% 37% 32% 17% THE EXCELLENT
STANDARD
Industry CPD modules 6% 21% 33% 26% 14%

KEY
Verulam (letters) 3% 23% 35% 26% 13%

Opinion (excl. Verulam) 3% 24% 39% 25% 10% Of no value Of some Valuable
at all value

Features 2% 14% 44% 31% 9%

News 2% 22% 42% 26% 8% Very Extremely

valuable valuable

ONLINE CAREERS

How often do you access How would you prefer to If you were looking for a new job, which
The Structural Engineer read The Structural publications or online job sites would
website? Engineer online? you consult?
At least 64%
once a week LinkedIn
20% 50%
At least The Structural Engineer Jobs online job board
once a month 43%
37% The Structural Engineer magazine

At least 24%
once every 44% 8% 35% 13% ICE Recruit online job board

three months PDF Full-text Both I wouldn’t 22%

web page read it online
21% Indeed online job board

Less often 19%

17%
THE SEARCH New Civil Engineer Careers online job board

Never ENGINE NEEDS 18%

5% IMPROVING New Civil Engineer magazine

VALUE TO INSTITUTION MEMBERS

Most valuable member benefit The Structural Engineer…

KEY
The Structural Engineer 39% 1% 2 15% 44% 37%

Access to extensive Library collection …is my preferred engineering publication

(including e-Library), subject knowledge of
Library staff and use of enquiry/loans service 20% 1% 3 15% 51% 30% Strongly Disagree
disagree
…enhances the Institution’s image
Access to global, national and regional
engineering communities via events,
courses and online services
18% 1% 2 13% 55% 29%
…adds value to my membership
Indifferent Agree
CPD courses, webinars and 1% 3 11% 57% 28%
other career and professional
development opportunities 17% …contains valuable information that helps my career
1% 1 12% 59% 26%
Reduced rates on technical publications 6% …is well designed
Strongly
agree

9
thestructuralengineer.org | June 2021

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Opinion Planning application
Climate emergency Jargon procedures
buster

1.Get informed

Climate jargon buster

Grace Di Benedetto presents a short glossary of key sustainability terms that engineers are likely
to encounter when reading climate guidance.

This article gives simple explanations of common sustainability terms that a structural carbon emissions and therefore no offsetting is
engineer may come across. It has been developed with reference to existing industry required. Also known as carbon zero, absolute
definitions where possible. Where further explanation has been added, the definitions zero, or gross zero.
come from those used within Arup’s Structural Engineering Sustainability Hub.
Climate positive
Concepts and systems dioxide equivalent). An activity that goes beyond net zero by
Lifecycle assessment (LCA) achieving an overall reduction in GHGs in
A method to quantify the carbon emissions and Embodied carbon (EC) the atmosphere. Also referred to as carbon
other environmental impacts (such as acidification The GHG emissions associated with materials negative.
and air pollution) of assets or products over their and construction processes throughout the whole
whole lifecycle1. lifecycle of an asset (Modules A1–A5, B1–B5 and Science-based target
C1–C4)6. A target that is consistent with the pace
Lifecycle stages/modules recommended by climate scientists to limit the
Each lifecycle module (A1, A2...) describes a Operational carbon (OC) worst impacts of climate change9.
distinct phase in the lifecycle of an asset, and The GHG emissions arising from all energy and
modules are grouped into stages (e.g. product water consumed by an asset in use, over its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
stage consists of Modules A1–A3). Refer to Figure lifecycle (Modules B6 and B7)6. To classify the boundaries of an organisation’s
1 of BS EN 158042. GHG emissions, three scopes are differentiated.
Upfront carbon Scope 1 covers direct emissions from owned
Environmental product declaration (EPD) GHG emissions up to practical completion, or controlled sources. Scope 2 covers indirect
A third-party verified, standardised document that excluding sequestration (Modules A1–A5)6. emissions from the generation of purchased
provides the environmental impact of a product, electricity, steam, heating and cooling. Scope 3
based on the data from an LCA. Whole-life carbon (WLC) includes all other indirect emissions that occur
The total of all GHG emissions and removals, both in a company’s value chain, e.g. business travel
Circular economy operational and embodied, over the lifecycle of and the embodied carbon of built assets10.
A circular economy is based on the principles of an asset, including its disposal (Modules A–C).
designing out waste and pollution and keeping Potential benefits or loads from future energy Carbon offsetting
products and materials in use, e.g. refurbishment, recovery, reuse and recycling are reported The use of GHG emission reductions or
reuse, design for adaptability/deconstruction3. separately (Module D)6. removals to compensate for CO2 emissions.

Design for adaptability Sequestration Materials

Designing to support the continued use of The removal and long-term storage of CO2 from Recyclability
an asset by allowing for and accommodating the atmosphere in biomaterials such as timber. Indicates how easy a product is to separate
potential future adaptations4. The carbon stored in these materials is known as into its material components and to convert
biogenic carbon7. into a new item. The term ‘downcycling’ is used
Design for deconstruction (DfD) where the resulting product is of a lower value
Design decisions that increase the quality and Carbon capture and storage (CCS) than the original item. Conversely, ‘upcycling’
quantity of materials that can be reused at the Process to capture the CO2 arising from fossil fuel adds value to the item.
end of a building’s life. Also known as design for combustion or industrial processes, transporting
disassembly5. it to a storage site and storing it where it will not Reuse
enter the atmosphere8. To use a product again while largely maintaining
Regenerative design its original form. Unlike recycling, reuse requires
Design that achieves net positive impacts on Targets minimal reprocessing.
health, society and the environment, often being Net zero
inspired by the circular, low-energy systems that A net-zero-carbon asset is one where the sum Recycled content (RC)
exist in nature. total of all asset-related GHG emissions, both A measure of how much material within a
operational and embodied, over its lifecycle product is from a non-virgin source.
Carbon including disposal (Modules A1–A5, B1–B7,
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions/ C1–C4), plus offsets, equals zero. Minimising Recycling rate (RR)
carbon emissions emissions should always be prioritised over Indicates how much of a product is collected
Emissions of gasses including carbon dioxide, offsetting6. and returned to the manufacturing process.
methane and water vapour that trap heat in the A high recycling rate reflects that the product
atmosphere. The global warming potential (GWP) Zero carbon is technically recyclable and that the market
of these gasses is measured in CO2e (carbon An asset, product or service that produces no infrastructure exists for it to be reclaimed.

10
June 2021 | thestructuralengineer.org
 Jargon buster Climate emergency

More design.
HAVE
Acknowledgements YOUR
SAY
Many thanks to Will Arnold for his
invaluable guidance in writing this
article, and to our reviewers,
Duncan Cox, John Orr, Natasha
Less material.
Watson, Orlando Gibbons and
Penny Gowler.
[email protected]
Grace Di Benedetto
BEng, BComm
Grace is a structural engineer
from Arup, based in the Building @IStructE
Engineering group in London. #TheStructuralEngineer

She advocates for low-carbon

design and material reuse on her
projects and is on the leadership
team for Arup’s Structural
Engineering Sustainability Hub UK. #TheStructuralEngineer

REFERENCES

1) Adapted from LETI (2020) design-for-deconstruction-

Climate Emergency Design helping-construction-unlock-
Guide [Online] Available the-benefits-of-the-circular-
at: www.leti.london/cedg economy/ (Accessed:
(Accessed: April 2021) April 2021)

2) Adapted from British 6) Adapted from Whole Life

Standards Institution Carbon Network (2020)
(2019) BS EN 15804:2019 Improving Consistency in
Sustainability of construction Whole Life Carbon Assessment
works. Environmental product
declarations. Core rules
and Reporting
As governments around the world
7) Jones N. and Mundy J.
for the product category (2014) Environmental impact ramp up climate promises ahead
of construction products,
London: BSI
of biomaterials and biomass,
Bracknell: IHS BRE Press
of COP26, focus on emissions
3) Adapted from Ellen 8) Adapted from from the built environment gets
MacArthur Foundation (2017)
What is the circular economy?
Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (2018) ‘Annex
sharper and sharper.
[Online] Available at: www. I: Glossary’, In: Special Report:
ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/ Global Warming of 1.5°C In the IStructE’s new book Design for Zero,
circular-economy/what-is-the- [Online] Available at: www.
circular-economy (Accessed: ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/glossary/
leading practitioners and academics
April 2021) (Accessed: April 2021) share practical advice and examples
4) ISO (2020) ISO 20887:2020 9) Adapted from Science of the actions we all need to take to
Sustainability in buildings Based Targets (s.d.) How it meet the Zero Carbon demands of our
and civil engineering works works [Online] Available at:
— Design for disassembly https://sciencebasedtargets.
clients, cities and governments.
and adaptability — Principles, org/how-it-works (Accessed:
requirements and guidance, April 2021)
Geneva: ISO
10) Carbon Trust (2021)
5) Adapted from BRE (s.d.) Briefing: What are Scope 3
Design for Deconstruction –
helping construction unlock
emissions [Online] Available
at: www.carbontrust.com/ Pre-order:
the benefits of the Circular
Economy [Online] Available
resources/briefing-what-are-
scope-3-emissions (Accessed:
JTUSVDUFPSHEFTJHOGPS
at: www.bregroup.com/buzz/ April 2021) [FSP
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 Professional guidance Webinars

Making a success Marketing expert, David Brett, shares

his top tips on how to ensure your

of your webinar webinar goes to plan and makes the right

impression on your audience.

Having suffered numerous boring webinars

over the last year, with ‘talking heads’, slides
I can’t read, presenters who forget to unmute
themselves, and any number of technical
problems, I have a few words of advice for
aspiring presenters.
Being ‘spoken at’ by a talking head is
not very attention arresting, so alternative
approaches should ideally be explored. The
basic reason for most webinars is to impart
relevant information in the most acceptable
way.
It helps if the intended audience is already
aware of you and your practice, company or
organisation. Establishing the credentials of
the presenter(s) is important both before and
at the beginning of the webinar. Planning is
critical to decide what you want to achieve
with the webinar, who to invite, and when to
hold it.
Webinars will continue
The five phases of persuading an audience to offer a way to reach
to accept anything – an idea, service, a wide audience even

ISTOCK
product, information, etc. – are basically the once social distancing
measures are behind us
same:
1) arrest attention
2) maintain interest
3) achieve conviction instructions, I eventually had to refresh my browser to
4) create desire re-join the webinar. It’s easy to lose participants when this
5) close (agree on the next step). happens, so starting on time is critical. A webcast may have
helped to avoid the delay.
It’s important to think about how you are going to do this They can still be shown ‘live’, so that questions can
in the fewest number of words in the shortest time, and be asked and answered during the webcast. It’s usually
make it as interesting as possible. Being brief is not easy better for these to be answered as soon as possible after
and requires considerable thought. The famous playwright they are asked, rather than wait to the end. This is also
George Bernard Shaw wrote a letter to one of his friends recommended during webinars, so you may need to have
and said: ‘I’m sorry this is a long letter – I haven’t got time an expert standing by who is not involved in presenting to
to write you a short one!’ The art of brevity does not come do this.
easily, which is why speed reading was invented.
The acronym KISS – keep it simple and succinct – is Get the basics right
probably worth bearing in mind when preparing webinars. The basics of presenting webinars are sound, lighting,
The old maxim ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ says background, and upper dress. Checking the ‘hardware’
it all, so use pictures or, even better, short videos to help to involved is also important. It’s worth investing in a good-
maintain interest during the webinar. There is nothing more quality microphone or headset, and ensuring your camera
boring than talking heads and slides that stay on the screen provides a sharp image.
for ages. There has been a boom in second-hand book sales
during lockdowns, so that presenters could restock their
Production values matter library shelves with classics to improve the backgrounds in
We are all used to highly sophisticated movies and TV now. their home offices. Sound and lighting are also important,
Ideally, webinars should aspire to similar standards to keep so that the audience can see and hear you clearly. Avoid
audiences interested. While there are differing views on having a window or bright light behind you.
whether ‘live’ is best, I personally prefer webcasts, which Try to eliminate background noises such as telephones,
can be ‘tidied up’, and any technical issues such as ‘word doorbells, dogs barking, interruptions, etc., as these are
whiskers’ – the um’s, ah’s, er’s and hesitations – resolved most disconcerting during live webinars. Remember to
before showing. They can also deal with long pauses when check the ‘hardware’, so that your computer, camera,
a new presenter takes over the presentation. microphone, etc., are all working well, and the camera
I experienced a classic case recently when attending a angle is advantageous. If you intend to conduct
live webinar which started half an hour late. With hundreds regular webinars, you may want to consider upgrading
of participants joining on time and hanging on for further your hardware.

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 Webinars Professional guidance

It’s no good being in an echo chamber and your The presenter can just be a ‘cameo in the corner’ of the
face in shadow. You may need to illuminate your head screen so the audience knows who’s speaking, as you
and shoulders. Upper dress is also critical, as first may wish to show other information on the screen at the
impressions are mostly visual, so you have to look and same time.
sound professional. Smart-casual upper dress is generally
acceptable now – particularly if operating from your Make registration and check-in easy
home office. Try to limit the information required to register for
Don’t wave your hands and arms about in front of the a webinar. Name and email address are the bare
camera, as it’s most disconcerting for the audience, but do minimum. Company details, etc., are optional. Some I’ve
be enthusiastic and sincere, as it’s the next best thing to encountered are so complicated I’ve given up trying to
face-to-face meetings where these qualities are essential. register, so keep it simple. This is also an opportunity to
It’s also worth considering a co-presenter who can take get potential participants to sign up for a series as they
over at a moment’s notice if your internet connection goes only have to do it once.
down. With participants often in many different locations, It’s then important to keep in touch and send reminders
and sometimes different countries, internet speeds and (not too many) from time to time of the date and time of
reliability of connections can vary considerably. the webinar and how to join. If it’s an international webinar,
do make sure that the audience knows the time zone of
A webinar is rather like a speech the presentation.
Ò| Tell them what you are going to tell them. It should then be easy to join on the day and time
Ò| Tell them. concerned – the IStructE webinars are particularly easy to
Ò| Tell them what you told them. join, so congratulations to all concerned.

Present the information in chapters or episodes like a Make a recording available as soon as
book – a little and often is usually better than a weighty possible
volume. Don’t attempt too much, as boredom may creep It’s very important to follow up as soon as possible after
into the equation. If you have too much information for the webinar or webcast with a recording, in case the
one webinar – which should never be longer than an hour audience missed it or had to leave before the end. Every
and preferably less, then go for a series instead. If your webinar I’ve attended has offered to answer questions
audience gets hooked on the first episode, they will be which were unanswered during the webinar – which
more inclined to carry on viewing subsequent episodes. happens frequently – as they usually run out of time,
Famous authors like Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan but nobody ever has to date.
Doyle made their works famous through serialisation. This does not make a good
impression. If you promise to do
Slides should serve as a prompt and
introduction to part of the webinar
something, then do it! THE PRESENTER
It should be possible to read slides easily, so large print Conclusion IS THERE TO
is recommended. Only a few words or bullet points are Although webinars have been SUPPLEMENT THE
required to introduce a new aspect of the webinar. The
presenter should never attempt to read the slides, so if
around for some time, we’ve
made much greater use of them
INFORMATION ON
there is only one word or no more than three bullet points during the past year, as face- THE SCREEN
that will resolve the problem. The presenter is there to
supplement the information on the screen rather than read
to-face meetings haven’t been
possible, so we’re all learning
RATHER THAN READ
it, like a TV commentary. together. Being aware of the IT, LIKE A TV
A ‘clickable’ console or dashboard is also desirable, so problems and pitfalls helps us COMMENTARY
that both the presenter and audience can access more to improve the quality, which
information relevant to the presentation, such as videos, is important, as this method of
etc., when required. This is particularly useful in webcasts working will be with us for many years to come. Now that
or when viewing a recording of the webinar. we’ve had a taste of home working and limited travel,
There is nothing more boring than a speaker who reads we will probably change our working habits and not visit
a speech, so natural voice commentary or better still a our offices so frequently or undertake international travel
‘conversational style’ commentary between two presenters unless absolutely necessary.
– one asking the difficult questions, and the other
answering them in unscripted natural voice comments –
is usually much more acceptable to the audience. This David Brett
means they are ‘listening in’ to the conversation rather DBA, DIC, CEng, MIStructE
than being ‘spoken at’.
David Brett worked for Atkins, Arup and the NBA, before
becoming Group Marketing Director of Conder, and then
A change of face and pace can help to formed his own marketing consultancy specialising in
maintain interest the professions.
It can sometimes help to maintain interest to have
a change of face and pace during the webinar. The To contact David about this article, email:
‘conversational style’ presentation is conducive to this. [email protected].

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 Technical Analysing existing structures

Analysing existing
structures: a brief introduction
MATHAI MATHEW structures, though some care is necessary in determining
MEng (Hons), CEng, MIStructE whether it is appropriate to make use of them:
Associate Director, Michael Hadi Associates, Cambridge, UK Ò| Historic live load allowances are sometimes higher than
modern requirements.
Ò| In the UK, live load reductions for the design of multistorey
buildings appear to have been first considered in BS
Introduction 449:19321.
There has never been a more pressing time to improve our Ò| Factors of safety used in historic design are sometimes
understanding of existing structures. Each one represents more conservative than present-day equivalents.
an ‘investment’ of carbon emissions at some point in the
past. Being able to analyse and modify them for new uses The engineer should bear in mind that not all historic
maximises the return on this investment and reduces the need structures will have been designed and constructed in
for present-day emissions, particularly if this can be done accordance with the codes, guidance and best practice of
without extensive strengthening works. the time. It is necessary to judge the likelihood of this based
Engineers working with existing structures will need to be on the age and nature of the building and evidence from desk
familiar with the behaviour and construction of a wide variety studies, surveys and investigations.
of materials and structural types, both modern and historic. The proposed development may itself contribute to
They will need to exercise engineering judgement more redundancy:
frequently and possess a firm grasp of first principles to ensure Ò| Changes of use can lead to reduced live loads.
such judgements are sound. Ò| Removal and replacement of existing heavy finishes such
as screeds and levelling compounds can lead to reduced
When is analysis necessary? dead loads. Removal of existing partitions or replacing solid
The general aim of analysis, with both existing and new loadbearing walls with lighter alternatives can have a similar
structures, is to demonstrate that applied loads are exceeded effect.
by calculated resistances. Ò| Existing sections which were previously governed by
If the proposals for a particular existing building involve serviceability limits may have spare capacity if it is possible
neither increasing loads nor decreasing resistances, then to relax those limits, e.g. by using more deflection-tolerant
analysis is often not necessary. The structure may be deemed finishes.
functionally adequate on the grounds that it has performed
acceptably over an extended period of time under its current What are the prospects?
loading. The fact that utilisation ratios of around 80% are common
However, there are some exceptions to this principle and for critical elements, and even as low as 60% on average2,
analysis will be required if the structure: indicates that the first four factors alone can yield significant
Ò| is in poor condition, indicating that its original resistance spare capacity to accommodate new development.
may have been compromised Legal constraints notwithstanding, the author’s experience
Ò| shows signs of distress, indicating that its original is that most medium-to-large city-centre structures have been
resistance may have been inadequate found to possess adequate redundancy to make some form of
Ò| contains obvious defects, such as absent load paths, redevelopment commercially viable with minimal intervention.
modifications that have weakened load paths, or grossly All the same, the greatest potential, at least in the UK, is to
undersized elements. be found in iron, steel and concrete buildings dating from the
early 19th to early 20th century. This is for two reasons – the
Redundancy, and where it may be found vast stock of surviving buildings from this period, and the
Where the proposals do involve increasing loads or decreasing degree of redundancy which they often exhibit. This article is
resistances, the engineer is reliant on finding redundancy in written predominantly with this type of structure in mind.
the existing structure. Sources of redundancy common to
both modern and historic structures include: Approaches to analysis
Ò| rationalisation – where a critical design section has been Comprehensive analysis of any structure involves a large
applied to non-critical members, usually to simplify design quantity of data, much of which is usually absent for existing
and construction buildings. Often, the only information available is an idea as to
Ò| conservatism – where sections that work ‘comfortably’ the approximate age and original use of the building, limited
have been specified, or unnecessarily high allowances for investigation results and a topographic survey.
finishes, etc. were used in the original design
Ò| practicality – where the size of a section is governed by 1) When little information is available, or the client’s brief is
ease of construction, rather than structural demand (often modest, the simplest approach is a load balance. If it can
the case with concrete walls) be demonstrated that an increase in loads due to one aspect
Ò| availability – even the most efficient section for a given of the proposals can be offset by a decrease due to another,
scenario may not be at full utilisation, since section sizes with the result that there is no overall increase, the existing
are not on a continuum. structure must be adequate and existing margins of safety
are maintained.
Further sources of redundancy are available with historic A common example occurs with rear extensions. Consider

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 Analysing existing structures Technical

a beam supporting the rear elevation of a Victorian brick 3) If, in addition to section sizing, it is practical to test
building with floor beams spaced at 4.8m (16’). The client’s material properties, the engineer can attempt to assess the
brief is to extend the existing floor plate rearward using a steel structure in accordance with modern limit state design
and composite frame: principles. Strictly speaking, material properties to be
Load added (new slab + SDL) 4.25kN/m 2 2.4m determined by testing include not only characteristic material
strength and stiffness, but also the variability of these
11.5kN/m (15.5 ultimate) parameters, from which the engineer can derive appropriate
Load added (imposed partitions) 3.50kN/m 2 2.4m material safety factors.
In practice, it is often not possible to obtain enough
8.4kN/m (12..6 ultimate)
samples for meaningful statistical analysis and, particularly
Load removed (original rear wall) = 13 1 2 '' 21kN/m3 3m for historic structures, it falls to the engineer to make an
educated judgement about appropriate values for γm.
22.0kN/m (30.8 ultimate)
Reference may be made to the IStructE’s Appraisal of
existing structures5, which describes the basis of modern
In this case, it can be seen that removing a single storey values for γm for various materials as well as circumstances in
of masonry can offset the new floor loads entirely. Other than which adjustments might be appropriate.
its condition, very little information on the existing beam or Modern limit state design codes tend to go into great
adjacent construction is necessary. detail with buckling checks. Historic construction tends to be
quite robust against buckling, more by virtue of construction
2) If the age of the original building is known and sizes and detailing rather than refinement of structural analysis.
of existing elements are confirmed, the strength of the Beams are often well restrained by slabs, and sections
existing structure may be assessed in accordance with are often stockier than we might use today. Where simple
contemporary codes of practice. slenderness checks can be employed, these are usually
For historic iron and steel structures, this is a substantial sufficient.
topic in its own right, well covered in the BCSA’s Historical
Structural Steelwork Handbook3, with allowable stresses 4) Lastly, in certain very limited circumstances, non-
traced as far back as 1879. destructive load testing might be a valuable tool. It can be
Historic concrete structures are typically assessed with both expensive and time-consuming, and an estimate of
modern limit state design methods, using appropriately low strength derived by analysis is a prerequisite. It is usually a
cube and yield strengths based on records and/or testing last resort, when analysis alone is not expected to provide a
wherever possible. reliable prediction of a structure’s behaviour.
Existing timber structures are commonly checked using Unsurprisingly, simpler analyses will tend to yield more
allowable stress design, which many UK engineers still use. If conservative results and more sophisticated methods
in good condition, it is normal to assume that old, slow-grown will tend to yield more favourable results. The brief and
timber is of high quality, usually no less than C24 equivalent, information available will vary from one project to another, so
although this should be corroborated by visual inspection. an appropriate method should be chosen in each case.
If any residual uncertainty remains in the analyses,
îFIGURE 1:
Arrangement Elsewhere in this issue, Jess Foster describes using a proposed loading should be limited to whatever can be
of horizontal combination of these two approaches to justify extensions to justified with confidence.
and vertical
an existing concrete frame4.
diaphragms in
1920s office Common pitfalls
building One of the easiest issues to
trip up on is lateral stability.
Firstly, the relationship between
building height and stability
forces is quadratic – a 10%
increase in height entails
a 20% increase in bracing
forces. Secondly, stability
systems in older buildings
can be idiosyncratic and
poorly conditioned, with the
result that very little works ‘by
inspection’ and almost the
entire load path needs to be
checked explicitly.
It is doubtful that much
analysis was applied to stability
systems before the 1930s.
BS 449:1932 devotes 123
words to wind loads and
concludes that, ‘If the height of
a building is less than twice its
width, wind pressure may be
neglected, provided that the
building is adequately stiffened
by floors and walls’1. The latter

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 Technical Analysing existing structures

check, it seems, falls to the present-day

engineer.
In the 1920s office building shown
in Figure 1, existing floor diaphragms
consisted of 1½” (38mm) thick, low-
strength concrete toppings to hollow
pot slabs. The fourth floor had no direct New mezzanine floor
connection to shear walls but relied on the
roof to transfer lateral loads, and the third
floor was discontinuous across levels. The
client’s brief included removing one of the
main shear walls and cutting large new
openings into the floor plates. A lateral
stability nightmare!
Increasing the height or use
of a building can also change its
disproportionate collapse consequence
class, which may dramatically affect its
structural adequacy. In the same example
(Figure 2), the addition of a mezzanine
floor within an existing roof space resulted
in consequence class 2B, requiring
effective horizontal and vertical ties.
This had a significant effect on detailing
– how does one go about demonstrating
that a loadbearing masonry building
provides ‘effective vertical ties’? It was
necessary to devise a strategy for
disproportionate collapse and agree it with
the approved inspector at an early stage.
In this case, the strategy included notional removal of supports necessary where sudden failure is a possibility. ëFIGURE 2:
Cross-section
and key element design. Removal of existing beams or formation of new floor openings through early
Safety factors should be used with care to compare loads near columns or piers can result in a temporary or permanent 1920s office
and resistances like for like. With some minor exceptions, prior loss of restraint to those columns, which usually rely on floor building showing
vertical and
to limit state design, virtually all factors of safety were ‘global’ – diaphragms to limit their effective length. In heavily loaded or horizontal
i.e. load and material factors rolled into one – and applied to the massive masonry buildings, column restraint loads can exceed extensions
resistance side of the equation only. Furthermore, these might wind loads applied to the diaphragm. In such cases, checks
have been intended for use with ultimate strengths or average should be made to verify the diaphragm’s residual capacity or
strengths rather than characteristic strengths. waling beams provided to replicate its restraint (Figure 3).
A related point is that modern structures are designed with Most larger buildings have a typical framing layout which is
ductility to avoid sudden failure, whereas this is not always replicated across several floors, but the engineer should be wary
the case for historic structures. Higher factors of safety may be of existing transfer beams, which are not always obvious on

íFIGURE 3:
Maintaining
lateral restraint
to columns near
new openings

Insertion of a new stair

to this 1910s steel frame
would have compromised
lateral restraints to
stanchions. New elements
introduced to maintain
restraint are highlighted

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 Analysing existing structures Technical

older drawings, and even harder to detect in the finished building.

Transfer beams often have high utilisation ratios.

Conclusion USEFUL RESOURCES

Existing structures provide significant opportunities to reduce
emissions and costs through reuse and refurbishment.
Structural Engineer’s This book by Fiona Cobb draws together guidance from many
Analysing them need not be daunting, although it involves a Pocket Book superseded codes and contains a useful timeline of historic
different set of challenges than new buildings. Design methods construction forms
have evolved over the years, not so much because structures
have changed (they have), but because we have developed more Historical Structural This BCSA publication is a gold mine for historic section sizes in iron
accurate ways of predicting their behaviour. For the most part, Steelwork Handbook and steel and permissible stresses from a variety of historic codes
existing structures behave similarly to new structures. Gravity from before 1900 to 1948. The manner in which section stability and
buckling were dealt with in these codes is also described. Perhaps
acts identically for both. most usefully, it also tracks changes in live load allowances in this
period
Handbook of Steel Dorman Long’s 1895 handbook may be freely downloaded from
REFERENCES Sections its website and contains section properties and span tables for an
enormous range of monolithic and compound steel girders
Historical approaches Concrete Society Technical Report 70 describes UK elastic design
1) British Standards Institution (1932) BS 449:1932 to the design of methods, material strengths and safety factors from the early 20th
The use of structural steel in building, London: BSI concrete buildings century
(withdrawn) and structures
Office floor loading in This English Heritage publication has successfully been used to
2) Poole I. (2020) ‘Rationalisation versus optimisation
historic buildings argue in favour of lower live load allowances in historic buildings,
– getting the balance right in changing times’, The particularly where adherence to BS 6399 or EN 1991 would result in
Structural Engineer, 98 (10), pp. 18–21 disruption of listed fabric
3) Bates W. (1984) Historical Structural Steelwork Structural renovation CIRIA R111 is a concise but invaluable guide to traditional
Handbook, London: BCSA of traditional buildings construction materials and techniques, with many useful diagrams
and isometrics showing how some details and concepts were
4) Foster J. (2021) ‘What do you do when you are intended to work – something that’s not always legible in situ after a
convinced the structure will work but can’t prove it to century or more of wear and weathering
code?’, The Structural Engineer, 99 (6), pp. 18–22
Appraisal of existing This IStructE publication also contains comprehensive, step-by-
5) Institution of Structural Engineers (2010) Appraisal structures (3rd ed.) step guidance for structural engineers needing to check and report
of existing structures (3rd ed.), London: IStructE Ltd on the adequacy of an existing structure

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 Technical Justifying an existing structure

What can you do if

you are convinced a
structure will work but
can’t prove it to code?
that can be explored to justify an increase in loads
on existing columns (Figure 3).
At the top of the hierarchy is the most critical
aspect of assessing the capacity of a building –
understanding the existing structure, including a
methodical load takedown (including lateral loads).
Through comparison of the historic and
proposed actions on the structure, the impact
of the alterations can be understood. It may be
demonstrated through load balancing that the
capacity already exists1.
However, if it is not possible to justify an
existing structure through load balancing alone,

GARETH ATKINSON
what can we do next? Using Cannon Green as
a reference study, this article explores how an
ëFIGURE 1: Proposed existing reinforced concrete-framed building can be
alterations to Cannon Green interrogated further to support additional loads.
office building, London

Design justification
Column strengths
JESSICA FOSTER the approach taken to justify additional vertical This article begins to address the justification of
MEng, CEng, MIStructE load. The second section focuses on increasing structural capacity, but note that this assumes
Associate, Civic Engineers, London, UK distributed loads on slabs and beams. Steel-framed the existing structure is in good, sound condition.
buildings share many of the same philosophies, Structures should be inspected carefully for signs
although the technical detail is different, and not of damage, movement and spalling, and analysed
Introduction explored in detail. for chemical decomposition and carbonation, a
Ten per cent of the UK’s emissions are directly particular risk in the high-alumina cement that was
associated with construction, with embodied Justifying increased vertical loading popular in the 1960s.
carbon responsible for almost half of total new There is a hierarchy of analyses and assessments Typically, as engineers, we assess buildings
construction emissions expected between now and
2050. Retrofitting and extending existing buildings
íFIGURE 2:
minimises waste of the materials and energy Cannon Green –
already invested in these structures and the amount before and after
of additional material used.
However, altering or adding storeys to a building
can alter load paths and increase global loading.
Additionally, change of use may increase the loads
applied to the floors and supporting beams.
A thorough understanding of the original building
structure, and engineer’s intent, is needed to get the
most out of the existing structure.
This article explores ways to justify reuse of
existing structures, relating them to a project where,
at Civic Engineers, we successfully used all the tools
at our disposal to prove that an existing 1960s office
block, at Cannon Green in central London (Figure
1), could be given new life. The project added
two storeys of office space and roof terraces,
transformed the ground floor into a bar/restaurant,
and the basement car parks into a gym space, with
minimal strengthening works (Figure 2).
With a focus on concrete structures, the first
section of the article provides an overview of

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 Justifying an existing structure Technical

îFIGURE 3:
Hierarchy of
additional load

more than 10 years old. Concrete continues to gain capacity. In concrete, there is also a minimum and without the enhanced load allowance from
strength after construction, roughly 10% over its requirement for reinforcement as a function of its concrete aging). However, the remaining columns
first few years. We can therefore extrapolate that cross-sectional area, and it is not unusual for this to needed further work to justify their use and capacity.
load capacity has similarly increased. be the governing factor in the detailing of columns Historical drawings for the building showed it
On this basis, a 10% loading increase is and walls. Identifying this latent capacity can was designed and constructed between 1965 and
considered acceptable on existing concrete provide the additional strength required for quite 1967. The most up-to-date UK design code of the
columns, and this enhancement can be considered significant load changes. time was CP 114 (1957 edition)2. Using this code,
within the previous load-balancing exercise. Concrete strength may be found on historical the minimum steel allowances for each cross-
If enhanced load balancing does not provide drawings or else through core tests, and the sectional area of column were identified, and the
sufficient capacity, we must begin to look at the minimum steel calculated from historical codes. The minimum capacity of each calculated. All perimeter
actual concrete members. actual minimum capacity of each member can then columns were subjected to a proposed load of less
Between meeting architectural requirements, be calculated and compared with the proposed than their minimum capacity. Only three internal
rationalisation of member sizes and leaving applied loading. columns exceeded their minimum capacity, and
tolerance in the design, it is typical for structural At Cannon Green, the majority of internal those only at the lowest floor.
elements to be working at less than their full columns were justified through load balancing (with With a more detailed understanding of the steel

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 Technical Justifying an existing structure

Box 1: Building structure investigations

This section of the article summarises slab, may not be identified, depending
the types of investigation available to try on the type and compaction of the
to determine the strength, condition and materials.
loading capacity of an existing reinforced
concrete frame. Covermeter survey
Concrete strength, overall size and A covermeter (Figure 6) is a non-invasive
depth of members, layout, bar size, and tool which measures the depth of
direction and strength of embedded steel concrete and can establish the layout
reinforcement must be determined to and diameter of steel reinforcing bars
undertake the analyses described in the within (Figure 7). The tool is handheld and
body of the article. operated by running the base over the
concrete face to be tested.
Radar scanning For beams, scanning is required at
Radar scanning (Figure 4) is used to midspan of soffit for sagging steel, and
establish the depth of existing structure over supports for hogging. For slabs, it
where it cannot be measured by other is necessary to assess the bar spacing
means, and to establish the arrangement and size over a larger area, and in both
of reinforcing steel within structural directions allow three 1m2 areas per slab
members (Figure 5). Scanning can assist (soffit and top of slab at supports).
ìFIGURE 4: Hand-held radar scanner
with identifying the general foundation Typically, between 10% and 25%
arrangement, e.g. whether there are pile of scanning sites require validation,
caps or strip footings. depending on the findings of initial
Radar scanning can potentially identify: opening-up works. If ribbed reinforcement
Ò| position of reinforcement bars are found, the accuracy of the
Ò| concrete cover to reinforcement
Ò| consistency in compaction and build A COVERMETER IS A readings is considered to be high and a
target of 10% of sites will require opening
quality NON-INVASIVE TOOL up. Where square twisted reinforcement
Ò| interfaces in structure, e.g. to help
establish thickness of slabs.
WHICH MEASURES has been used, a larger number of
opening-up works will be required to
THE DEPTH OF verify the bar sizes owing to the bar
Limitations of radar scanning include
the facts that:
CONCRETE geometry.
Limitations of a covermeter survey are
Ò| it can only be carried out where the that:
face of the structure can be accessed Ò| it can only assess reinforcement sizes
Ò| any metal, e.g. cabling, will interfere reinforcement permits to a depth of cover of 64mm (areas with
with the readings Ò| the success of the scan is dependent heavy finishes or service voids cannot
Ò| reinforcement close to the scanned on the quality of the material scanned be surveyed)
face can be identified, but deeper Ò| structure that does not interface with Ò| to calibrate the machine and verify
reinforcement can only be identified the scanned face, such as foundations results, a number of investigation sites
where the density of the near-surface set below and separate from a floor must be physically exposed.

ëFIGURE 5:
Radar scan output
GBG

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 Justifying an existing structure Technical

îFIGURE 6:
testing. Ideally these should be taken from
Covermeter walls supporting half-landings, or other
investigation larger reinforced concrete elements such
of beam
as flat slabs, where it would be expected
that a local reduction in capacity will be
easily accommodated.
GBG

GBG
éFIGURE 7: Extract from investigation report
showing section through beam

Opening-up works Material testing

Opening-up works are used to expose Concrete testing is required to establish
reinforcement for measurement. For a strength. Slabs and columns may use
column, this could require the removal different mixes, so a variety of cores
of the concrete from the column face in through different structural members
a strip no less than 50mm high across at different locations should be taken
the full column width approx. 1.5m (Figure 9). A review of the results, in
above floor level, sufficient to expose the line with any historical information from
reinforcement bars such that the size and drawings, etc., should be undertaken to
spacing can be measured. Beams require assess what concrete grade should be
a similar sized opening at midspan soffit considered for the structural calculations.
and over supports. For slabs, the scanned Samples of exposed steel reinforcement
area should be exposed (Figure 8). should similarly be removed for tensile

ëFIGURE 8: Example
ëFIGURE 9: of slab opening-
Concrete core up works to verify
GBG

taken for testing covermeter readings

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 Technical Justifying an existing structure

surveys, opening-up and analysis, which

might not have resulted in a reduction in
strengthening works, represented a significant
investment by the client. Ultimately, the huge
savings in materials, complexity and
programme as a result of strengthening
ëFIGURE 4:
works not being needed were far greater. The
Embodied carbon carbon savings were also significant. Retrofit
calculated using The first is a key factor in reducing carbon
Structural Carbon Tool
emissions in the construction industry. If
saving carbon is also cheaper and more efficient, it
reinforcement used, through study of historical conservative, and if calculations conclude the slab will be easier to convince our clients to engage.
drawings and/or investigations, a more detailed does not have sufficient capacity for the original
analysis of the existing structure can be carried out. design loads, then it is an indication that the slab Acknowledgements
Explorations into existing reinforcement are may be acting as two-way spanning, or continuous, The author would like to thank GBG Structural
summarised in Box 1. or both. Services Ltd and Gareth Atkinson of Civic
Based on the slab geometry, a more complex Engineers for their input and review.
Slab and beam capacities analysis of the slab as two-way simply supported
Load increases on slabs may be required to can be carried out to identify the residual moment
accommodate a change of use, e.g. introducing capacity, and therefore the maximum LL + SDL that
plant areas. While removing heavy screeds and could be applied. REFERENCES
finishes, replacing blockwork partitions, etc. may A further level of analysis can be carried out
offer some benefits to load balancing, over a single considering the hogging capacity at supports and 1) Mathew M. (2021) ‘Analysing
floor the proportion of load change on a single the slab acting as continuous. existing structures: a brief
structural element is typically higher than in the Alongside this is the analysis of the supporting introduction’, The Structural Engineer,
supporting columns. It is unusual for minimum beams. Again, investigations and reverse 99 (6), pp. 14–17
steel to be the governing factor in slab and beam analysis can be used to identify allowable loads. 2) British Standards Institution (1957)
design, so investigations must be undertaken. The Assumptions made about the action of the slabs CP 114:1957 The structural use of
reinforced concrete in buildings,
hierarchy to be followed for horizontal members is in must be carried into the beam loading calculations, London: BSI
the increasing complexity of each round of analysis. i.e. one- or two-way slabs will apply different loading
3) Institution of Structural Engineers
At Cannon Green, the brief called for the onto the adjacent supports. and Elliott Wood (2021) The Structural
underground car park (2.5kN/m2) to be converted Once the analyses are complete, any slabs or Carbon Tool [Online] Available at:
into a gymnasium (5kN/m2). The basement beams which do not have capacity to support the www.istructe.org/resources/guidance/
structure comprised downstand beams and slabs. proposed loads can be identified, and their actual the-structural-carbon-tool/ (Accessed:
May 2021)
A series of investigations was undertaken to: capacities calculated. It may be possible, in review
Ò| identify the thickness and width of slabs and with the architectural layouts, to limit the loads
beams applied to those areas. At Cannon Green, one of
Ò| identify reinforcement in the bottom of the slab the slabs which did not have sufficient capacity FURTHER READING
and in the beam at the centre of the span for the enhanced gym loading formed part of the
Ò| identify reinforcement in the top of the slab and reception area, another was in a changing room.
in the beam at the supports Neither of these areas required the blanket LL Beckmann P. and Bowles R. (2004)
Ò| verify assumed concrete strength using concrete allowance of 5kN/m2, so a localised reduced load Structural Aspects of Building
cores was agreed with the tenant. Conservation (2nd ed.), Oxford:
Routledge
Ò| test the steel grade using reinforcement
samples. Conclusion Clarke J.L. (2020) TR70: Historical
approaches to the design of concrete
At Cannon Green, of 30 slabs investigated, only buildings and structures, Camberley:
Slab and beam analysis one required strengthening, and of 52 beams Concrete Society
Based on the actual reinforcement in each slab, analysed, only two were strengthened. Had this Institution of Structural Engineers
known cover and slab thickness, the moment approach not been taken, and the original design (2010) Appraisal of existing structures
capacity of each slab can be calculated. Moment loads simply been used to establish the need for (3rd ed.), London: IStructE Ltd
capacity can be compared with applied moments load enhancement, then strengthening works
under construction dead loads (CDL), and the would have been significant.
residual capacity used to identify how much Strengthening could have been done via
superimposed dead (SDL) and live load (LL) each carbon-fibre reinforcement or introduction of steel
HAVE
YOUR
element can carry. sub-frames. Proving the slab capacity and not SAY
For simplicity, first assume that each slab is providing strengthening offers a considerable saving [email protected]
acting as a simply supported, one-way spanning in material, and project complexity, representing a
slab. The analysis is straightforward, and if the huge saving on programme and cost.
residual capacity is sufficient for the proposed SDL The embodied carbon was estimated using The
+ LL then no further analysis is required. Structural Carbon Tool3 (Figure 10).
@IStructE
However, this approach can be overly It must be acknowledged that the additional #TheStructuralEngineer #TheStructuralEngineer

22
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 ®

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TSE.June21.023.indd 23 18/05/2021 11:19

 Industry CPD Supplied and sponsored by Mapei

Supplied and
sponsored by Industry CPD
Design approach for structural
strengthening of reinforced
concrete structures using
fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP)
This CPD module, aramid, which, due to its high cut resistance, can
Continuing professional development
be particularly useful when attempting to reinforce
sponsored by MAPEI, (CPD) ensures you remain competent in a structural member against blast or high-speed
introduces the use of your profession. Chartered, Associate impact damage.
FRP for the structural and Technician members of the The constitutive model of a composite material
strengthening of Institution must complete a specified depends on the mechanical properties of its
reinforced concrete components and their volumetric fractions1.
amount each year. All CPD undertaken
From an engineering perspective, FRP deform
structures. It provides must be reported to the Institution elastically up to failure, and are effective only in
an overview of the annually. Reading and reflecting on tension, though their contribution to compression
composite materials this article by correctly answering the is negligible due to micro-buckling of the fibres.
and the design questions at the end is advocated to be: Another important mechanical aspect is their strong
approach for flexural, anisotropy, which implies that they respond better
when stretched along the direction of the fibres.
shear and axial
1 hour of verifiable CPD
strengthening. Benefits
FRP represent an evolution of traditional
strengthening techniques, thanks to the numerous
Introduction fibres together and distributes stress over the benefits that are accompanied with their use. These
The use of FRP has numerous applications for the composite section. can be summarised as:
rehabilitation of reinforced concrete (RC), masonry, While the matrix is usually an epoxy resin, the Ò|rehabilitation of structures without adding
timber and metallic structures, including, but not most common fibres used in civil and structural unwanted mass or stiffness
limited to, increasing the shear and flexural capacity applications are carbon, glass, basalt and aramid. Ò|limited loss of head height or floor space –
of masonry walls, reinforcing masonry vaults or The most effective fibre in terms of stiffness is meaning low visual impact and conservation of
arches, confining masonry columns, and upgrading carbon, which has a wide range of E-modulus, from the appearance and geometry of structure
in bending timber, steel and cast-iron beams. 230GPa to values greater than 600GPa. At a lower Ò|speed of installation due to weight of materials –
With regard to RC structures, FRP can be used grade, with E-modulus around 70 to 100GPa, there no need for equipment for lifting and supporting
for flexural strengthening of beams and columns, to are other types of fibres like glass, basalt and finally the application
sustain the redistribution of bending moments over Ò|reversibility of the strengthening work (easy to
a slab after the formation of new openings, shear îFIGURE 1: Section of pultruded carbon fibre plate at remove or repair)
strengthening of beams and columns, and finally to microscope showing each fibre coated with epoxy resin Ò|cost-effectiveness – due to a quick and easy
provide confinement to columns and column–beam installation process.
joints. It is for these reasons that the use of FRP for
structural strengthening has proved an invaluable Limitations
alternative to traditional strengthening solutions. Limitations to the use of FRP in structural
strengthening applications are mainly centralised
What are FRP? around the risk of a loss of reinforcement in case of
Fibre-reinforced polymers, commonly known as fire and under service conditions.
FRP, are composite materials made up by the If during a fire the FRP reinforcement has to work
combination of fibres with an organic polymer compositely with the structural member to resist the
matrix (Figure 1). The fibres, perfectly aligned in accidental action, then the structural member must
specific directions, constitute the reinforcement be protected with an adequate fireproof system.
due to their high strength, stiffness and lightweight In certain situations, the existing structure is able
features. The matrix is the binder that holds the to resist the fire actions and the scenario of loss of

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 Supplied and sponsored by Mapei Industry CPD

îFIGURE 2: Flexural
strengthening of beam
RESTEK

FRP reinforcement is acceptable and the use of

FRP is considered feasible. It should be noted that
the structures could still need to be fireproofed in
order to protect the steel reinforcement and not to ìFIGURE 3: Deflection curve for FRP reinforced RC beam
avoid the loss of FRP.
Adopting a similar approach, the serviceability
limit state (SLS) actions are compared with the
capacity of the un-strengthened member, in order
to prevent a potential loss of FRP from turning a
service condition into an ultimate limit state (ULS) for
the structural member.
FRP can also be compromised when there’s
an incorrect steel reinforcement layout, insufficient
overlap length or anchorage between rebars and
poor concrete substrate.

Flexural strengthening
A typical deflection curve for an RC beam that
has been strengthened using FRP (Figure 2) in
bending is shown in Figure 3.
At the time of strengthening – Point 0 – the
existing beam is already deflected under the service
loads, and for the correct evaluation of the state
of stress of the FRP, it is essential to assess the
magnitude of the strain of the concrete substrate
in tension.
Once FRP is installed, the beam bends elastically
with a slightly increased flexural stiffness and only
after the yielding point – Point YS – the tension
stiffening effect of the FRP produces an appreciable
hardening post-elastic behaviour. ìFIGURE 4: Steepening of inclination angle of concrete struts is beneficial effect of using FRP as shear reinforcement3
The failure of a strengthened beam can be
initiated prematurely due to the loss of adhesion
between FRP and concrete – Point DB – or in
certain situations, when debonding does not occur,
the beam reaches its ULS – Point UF – crushing
the concrete in compression or breaking the FRP
in tension.
A debonding check is an integral step of
the design process, and is carried out with the
purpose of mitigating all the causes that can initiate
a separation failure, such as irregularities of the
substrate, formation of significant cracks, high
shear stresses at the level of the adhesive layer
and a lack of length of anchorage at the end of the
plate.
A flexural strengthening system is considered
adequate when the resistance in bending is greater éFIGURE 5: Different FRP configurations for shear strengthening: a) U-wrap; b) side only; c) fully wrapped;
than the design moment at the ULS and also fulfils d) U-wrap anchored

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 Industry CPD Supplied and sponsored by Mapei

îFIGURE 6: Shear
strengthening with
anchored CFRP
U-wrap strips

ëFIGURE 7: Effect
of confinement
CRL

îFIGURE 8:
Axial strengthening
of column

éFIGURE 9: Effective confined concrete for different shapes of column: a) circular column; b) square column with sharp
corners; c) square column with rounded corners
BETON BAUEN

éFIGURE 10: Different configurations of FRP for confinement: a) continuous; b) discontinuous; c) twisted

the ductility requirements.

It’s worth noting that – in general – the ductility of
a flexural member decreases when reinforced using
FRP, and large strains of the tensile rebars cannot
always be endured. In this instance, the design
could still be considered adequate if a minimum
safety factor is achieved2.

Shear strengthening
The traditional shear design method for reinforced
concrete, referred to as the ‘Mörsh’s truss model’,
can be used to design shear strengthening
solutions using composites, and superimposing the
FRP contribution to the resistance of the steel ties3
(Figure 4).
The main aspects that can influence the
performance of shear strengthening systems are
the angle of inclination of the fibres and the FRP
configuration.
FRP layouts with the fibres placed parallel to the
direction of the principle tensile stress – responsible
for the formation of the shear crack – are expected
to perform better than layouts with the fibres placed éFIGURE 11: M-N interaction diagram for column reinforced using FRP3

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 Supplied and sponsored by Mapei Industry CPD

perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the the FRP. To increase the efficiency factor for can be easily increased along the span of the
beam. these shapes, it is essential to round off the column, and not at the connection with beams
In terms of configurations (Figure 5), the best sharp corners, although the performance is or foundations, where the FRP would need to
results are achieved when the FRP system can unlikely to exhibit results achieved with circular be adequately anchored.
be considered fully anchored (Figure 6), while columns. Additionally, it can prove even more
less effective performance can be expected in difficult to confine rectangular columns, due to Conclusion
cases where FRP is susceptible to debonding. their elongated shape. The use of FRP to strengthen reinforced
Longitudinally speaking, the best FRP concrete is by no means a new concept. In
Axial strengthening configuration to maximise the volume of fact, FRP have been used in the UK for over 35
The axial capacity and the ductility of RC confined concrete is the continuous wrap years. However, this article sets out the basic
columns can be increased only by an (Figure 10). Lower resistances are expected design principles necessary in order to consider
adequate confinement, which will provoke for the discontinuous wrap configurations, and an approach to projects using FRP, as well as
the existing concrete to develop a hardening for the twisted wrap, which also lacks efficiency providing insight into the various techniques
plastic behaviour, which will in turn sustain due to the anisotropy of the composite. that should be considered when planning
higher stresses and greater strains in The M-N interaction diagram for the FRP and carrying out projects of differing natures.
compression (Figure 7). strengthened column is determined following Through identifying advantages of the different
Confinement is obtained by wrapping the the same approach used for a normal RC methods and systems – from both a design
column with a composite material (Figure 8), column (Figure 11). point of view and the added benefits they offer
and the confining action is a consequence of Confinement produces an enlargement of to the client – engineers can consider FRP as
the restrained lateral expansion induced by the upper part of the M-N interaction diagram, an alternative and effective approach for any
the axial loads. while the effects are negligible in the case of future projects where strengthening reinforced
The performance of an axial strengthening pure bending – Point 4 – as the compressive concrete is required.
system using FRP is dependent on the zone shrinks laterally, relaxing the FRP up to a
stiffness of the composite, the longitudinal point of extinguishing any beneficial effect of REFERENCES
layout, the orientation of the fibre and the confinement.
shape of the cross-section (Figure 9). All Columns, in addition to the axial
these parameters can be summarised by an strengthening, can also be reinforced in bending 1) CNR (2013) Guide for the design and
efficiency factor, defined as the ratio between by applying a longitudinal FRP reinforcement construction of externally bonded FRP
the volume of the concrete effectively prior to wrapping the column for confinement. systems for strengthening existing structures
confined and the volume of the concrete Considering the negligible contribution of the (CNR-DT 200 R1/2013), Rome: Advisory
element1. FRP in compression, the new M-N interaction Committee on Technical Recommendations
The best results in terms of confinement diagram deviates from the one with only for Construction, Italian National Research
Council
are achieved in circular columns where the confinement after the configuration of strains
confining pressure – uniformly distributed corresponding to the decompression of the 2) fib (2019) Externally applied FRP
along the entire circumference – effectively concrete section – Point DEC. reinforcement for concrete structures (fib
confines the entire area of the cross-section. In certain situations, the longitudinal FRP can 90), Lausanne: Task Group 5.1, Fédération
Internationale du Béton
For square columns, the concentration fail prematurely due to debonding at a certain
of confining pressures at the location of point along the M-N interaction curve – Point 3) The Concrete Society (2012) Design
the sharp corners reduces the area of DB – with a consequent return to the resistance guidance for strengthening concrete
cross-section effectively confined, and can of the unconfined column. structures using fibre composite material
(Technical Report 55; 3rd ed.), Camberley:
subsequently cause a premature rupture of It must be stressed that the flexural capacity
The Concrete Society

Questions To claim your CPD certificate, complete the module online

by 31 July 2021 at: www.istructe.org/industry-cpd

1) Which of the following statements about FRP 3) What is the benefit of using FRP for flexural ¨ It avoids crushing of the concrete
is true? strengthening of a concrete beam? ¨ It changes the constitutive model of the concrete
¨ It is generally stiffer than steel ¨ It reduces deflection that has already occurred
¨ Its strength is greatest orthogonally in the direction ¨ It works as additional steel reinforcement 6) Which of the following statements about
of the fibres ¨ It has a tension stiffening effect when the steel is FRP for axial strengthening is true?
¨ It is susceptible to fire only at extremely high yielded ¨ Axial strengthening is due to the longitudinal FRP
temperatures ¨ It has high plastic deformations in compression, wrapped to avoid debonding
¨ It has a high strength-to-weight ratio ¨ Higher strains and stresses are beneficial for pure
4) Which of the following statements about bending
2) Which of the following statements about FRP FRP for shear strengthening is true? ¨ It enlarges the brittle portion of the M-N interaction
strengthening for concrete structures is true? ¨ It improves the inclination angle of the concrete diagram
¨ It replaces primary steel reinforcement struts ¨ To increase lateral expansion, it is better to add
¨ It always increases the ductility of the strengthened ¨ It can replace the existing shear links loads before confining the column
member ¨ It increases the shear capacity of the steel links
¨ It avoids corrosion of the steel ¨ The steel links must not yield
Supplied and sponsored by
¨ Its low weight makes the installation work much
easier 5) What is the benefit of confinement?
¨ It reduces the slenderness of the column
¨ It increases the concrete grade

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 Project focus Hams Way Footbridge

Design and construction of Hams

Way Footbridge, Worcester
Project credits SYNOPSIS
Bridge owner Worcestershire Hams Way Footbridge is an elegant new pedestrian and cycle
County Council
bridge on the outskirts of Worcester, UK. The steel bowstring
Structural COWI
engineer
truss bridge features smooth curves and intricate connections
Architect Moxon Architects
and is designed to catch shadow lines along its main members
to enhance its lightweight appearance. This article describes
Main Alun Griffiths
contractor Contractors the design from concept through to detailed design, including a
Steelwork SH Structures thorough assessment of the embodied carbon.
fabrication
and erection
FINN GRAHAM
MSc, DIC, CEng, MICE
Introduction
Highways Burroughs
Hams Way Footbridge (Figure 1) is
and drainage Senior Engineer, COWI, London, UK
a new pedestrian and cycle bridge
engineer
forming part of the strategically important
Environmental TACP BEN CURRY Worcester Southern Link Road Phase
consultant MEng, CEng, MIStructE 4 (SLR4) project in the West Midlands,
Associate, COWI, London, UK England. The footbridge replaces a
Flood Wallingford
signal-controlled pedestrian crossing of
modelling HydroSolutions
the A4440, one of Worcester’s busiest
Client’s Jacobs Key facts roads carrying more than 30 000 vehicles
project each day. The new footbridge improves
Total length 335m
manager National Cycle Network route 46 from
Main span 42m Worcester towards the Malvern Hills by
Category 3 Tony Gee and separating cyclists and pedestrians from
check Partners Bridge type Steel bowstring truss
traffic at the busy Powick Roundabout.

íFIGURE 1:
Hams Way Footbridge
SIMON KENNEDY

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 Hams Way Footbridge Project focus

HIGH COMPLIANCE
The focal point of the bridge is hydroelectric power station (1894) éFIGURE 2: limits for pedestrian excitation. The
Aerial view of site
the elegant trussed-arch main span, (Figure 3). 6m high trusses lean inward by 7.5°
during flooding
supported on dramatic leaning concrete Ò| The A4440 is a high-load route, and are unbraced to give a dramatic
piers to achieve the client’s aspiration requiring a 6.45m clearance under user experience when crossing on foot
for a lightweight ‘floating’ aesthetic. the footbridge rather than the typical (Figure 4).
The bridge also features long approach 5.7m. This extra height lengthens the The chords and diagonal members of
ramps where economy and speed of approach ramps, which are limited to the main span are formed from square
construction were the main design a 1:20 gradient. hollow sections (SHSs) rotated through
drivers, while matching the architectural 45°. These diagonal sections mirror
success of the main span. The bridge is one of several new a similar detail on the nearby Diglis
projects in the area, with the overarching Footbridge and are designed to catch
Constraints objective being to improve sustainable light on their upper half with shadow cast
The site has several constraints which transport links around Worcester. The on the lower, a visual effect which makes
were addressed in the design: client’s aspiration was for the bridge to them appear attractively slender.
Ò| The area is located close to the be a recognisable ‘gateway’ structure, The deck plate is 10mm thick and
confluence of the Rivers Teme and while being sensitive to its historic is stiffened with flat plate stiffeners
Severn and is prone to flooding surroundings. welded beneath and two edge stiffeners
(Figure 2). During construction in above, formed by folding up the edges
the winter of 2019–20, Worcester Main-span design of the deck plate. Cross-beams are
was hit by the highest flood since Worcestershire County Council rolled universal beam (UB) sections at
Environment Agency records began. expressed a preference for an arch- 3m centres, designed with stiffened
Ò| The site is archaeologically sensitive type main span for consistency with connections to the truss chords to
as it was the location of the Battle other footbridges in the region. Aware provide a degree of ‘U-frame’ stiffness,
of Worcester, the final battle of the that ‘traditional’ steel arch bridges stabilising the unbraced top chord
English Civil War in 1651. with vertical hangers can fall foul of (Figure 5).
Ò| The site is surrounded by a number the Eurocode pedestrian dynamics The top chord of the main span
of historically important pieces of requirements, the design team is curved at a relatively tight radius
infrastructure, including Old Powick proposed a 42m long bowstring truss (43.6m). The fabricator, SH Structures,
Bridge (original construction 15th for the main span. The truss diagonals recommended that the SHSs had a
íFIGURE 3:
century), New Powick Bridge (1837) provide additional stiffness and push Historic structures minimum wall thickness of 16mm, even
and Powick Mills, Britain’s first the resonant frequencies above the around site though 10mm would have been enough

c) Powick Mills
hydroelectric
power station

a) Old Powick Bridge b) New Powick Bridge

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 Project focus Hams Way Footbridge

îFIGURE 4: View
along main span
showing inclined, íFIGURE 5:
unbraced arches, Cross-section
with Powick of main span
Mills visible in
background

SIMON KENNEDY

from a strength perspective. The thicker

îFIGURE 6: Fabrication of end curves – concept and reality
walls were required to prevent local of geometrically non-linear (large
buckling and distortion of the SHSs displacement) elastic analyses to BS EN
during the bending process. This is 1993-2 Annex D. The initial imperfections
a good example of early input from a were scaled by the values outlined in
specialist fabricator being indispensable Table D.9 for the worst-case buckling
in the design process. curve d (i.e. 140mm for a half sinusoidal
At the ends of the arches, the top wave buckling mode and 190mm for a
and bottom chords meet at a tight full sinusoidal wave buckling mode).
curve, hiding the supports and giving These non-linear analyses enabled
the impression that the bridge is floating direct calculation of the second-order
above the piers. This element of the stresses in the truss members to
bridge is fabricated from conically curved demonstrate adequate capacity. Hand
steel plate, stiffened internally. It was a calculations and approximated codified
particular focus of the design with the buckling checks were used to cross-
important architectural detail needing to check the results of the non-linear
resist significant forces at the junction of analyses.
the arch and the hidden bearing cross- The main analysis model in LUSAS
beam. Early collaboration between the software (Figure 7) used beam elements
design and fabrication teams was key in for the chords and diagonals but further
achieving a detail that is efficient in both studies were carried out to consider the
structural performance and fabrication îFIGURE 7: Eigenvalue effects of connection flexibility. It was
effort. The finished product is seamless, buckling analysis of main- discovered that the welded connections
span steelwork in LUSAS
giving no hint of the complicated between the UB cross-beams and the
engineering within (Figure 6). SHS cross-beams were vulnerable
To achieve the architectural aim of to ‘lozenging’ distortion of the SHS,
unbraced arches, the design needed reducing the stiffness and compromising
to ensure the elastic stability of the the effectiveness of the U-frame restraint
compression chords. Arch bridges
typically feature plan bracing of the top
chords to improve their lateral buckling
performance, but without this bracing
the buckling behaviour becomes a much
more crucial aspect of the design.
The relatively slender 300mm SHS
top chords gain some lateral restraint
from the 180mm SHS truss diagonals;
however, the diagonals are flexible and
do not constitute ‘rigid’ restraints. To
quantify the buckling behaviour of the
arches, the design team’s finite element
(FE) model was used to derive elastic
critical buckling modes.
These buckling modes were used
as initial imperfections in a series

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 Hams Way Footbridge Project focus

provided by the diagonals. This was

îFIGURE 8:
resolved by inserting plate diaphragms Local stress
at each connection point, preventing analysis of ‘bird
the lozenging displacements and beak’ connection
guaranteeing a stiff load path through the
connection.
When a rotated SHS connects to
the wall of another rotated SHS, the
resulting joint is known as a ‘bird beak’
connection1. This type of connection
was found to perform better in terms
of strength and stiffness than an
equivalently sized connection where the
walls meet perpendicularly. This is due to
the in-plane contribution of force transfer
and equivalent reduction in out-of-plane
bending effects in the wall. However, the
bird beak connections fall outside of the
Eurocode provisions for hollow section
connections and they were instead
designed to the CIDECT Design guide îFIGURE 9:
Junction of ramp
for rectangular hollow sections (RHS) and main span
under predominantly static loading2 and
validated against FE models of the joints,
which showed good agreement.
The FE analysis showed significant
stress concentrations at the bird beak
connections (Figure 8), but limited local
plasticity was found not to compromise
the stiffness of the joints. Footbridges
are not generally fatigue-sensitive, but
fatigue studies were performed for both
pedestrian live load and wind-induced

SIMON KENNEDY
dynamics.
Although the main span did exhibit
some natural frequencies below 5Hz (the
limit for triggering Eurocode checks),
these were predominantly lateral
displacements of the top chords. The
first vertical mode was found to be above
5Hz. The main span therefore performed the principles of the UK National Annex
well under pedestrian dynamics, to BS EN 1993-2.
validating the early-stage design choice THE RAMP EDGE
Approach ramp design
of adopting stiff diagonal members in
preference to vertical hangers.
BEAMS FEATURE The main span is reached via multi-span
The corrosion protection system for all THE SAME approach ramps (Figure 9) as well as a
steelwork exposed to the elements was
a four-part paint system, with the topcoat
ROTATED SHS staircase to the north. The total length of
the approach spans is over 250m, so an
being a two-component, chemically FORM AS THE economic solution was required that was
curing, acrylic polyurethane coating with íFIGURE MAIN-SPAN quick to construct. A modular approach
CHORDS
a gloss finish. The hollow sections were 10: First five was adopted using repeated 12m steel
dynamic modes
designed to be fully sealed to avoid of south ramp spans on single rectangular hollow
corrosion of the internal faces, following structure section (RHS) steel piers. The ramp
edge beams feature the same rotated
SHS form as the main-span chords, but
use simplified flat-plate cross-beams for
economy. The ramp edge beams mirror
the tightly curved arch end segments at
the junction between the ramps and the
main span.
The articulation of the ramps was
designed to minimise moving parts to
reduce maintenance requirements. The
ends of the ramps are supported at
the concrete abutments on elastomeric
bearings. At all other support locations,
the ramps are integral with their
concrete pad footings. Articulation is
accommodated by allowing the steel

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 Project focus Hams Way Footbridge

despite a limiting horizontal acceleration

íFIGURE 11:
Approach ramp of 0.2m/s2 being required according to
parapet in profile BS EN 19904.
showing sloping posts To verify the lateral accelerations,
the design team drew on research
conducted previously by COWI
colleagues. By assuming a simple
correspondence between the vertical
load model and the lateral load model in
which lateral loads are applied at half the
frequency of vertical, the amplitude of the
first harmonic walking lateral fluctuating
load can be estimated as one quarter of
the vertical5, i.e. 70N. This method now
forms the basis of the lateral pedestrian-
induced response of footbridges in the
newly published Design Manual for
Roads and Bridges. CD 353: Design
Criteria for Footbridges6.
With a combination of the lateral

SIMON KENNEDY
response method outlined above, and
the codified method for vertical response
applied along both the centreline of the
ramps and along the outer edges, the
accelerations were kept within the design
limits by tailoring the pier column RHS
sizes to provide adequate stiffness.
piers to flex and by providing a bare îFIGURE 12:
minimum of expansion joints in the deck Parapet detail at Parapets
top of staircase
(one per ramp, at approximately mid- As well as functioning as a containment
length). system for bridge users, the parapets
The steel piers were therefore required are a major visual feature of the bridge
to be relatively flexible in the longitudinal (Figure 11). The plated nature of the
direction to accommodate thermal sloped elements that make up the
expansion, but stiff enough in the parapet means that they appear solid
transverse direction to provide restraint when viewed along the bridge, focusing
to eccentric loading at deck level. RHSs the bridge user towards the path
were used with the major axis oriented ahead, yet transparent for views directly
transversely, and the section size was out over the bridge to the impressive
tailored to suit the stiffness required, with scenery that surrounds it. The parapets
taller columns requiring larger sections. contain thousands of plated elements
SIMON KENNEDY

Considering the shallow span-to- welded together, as well as hundreds of

depth ratio and the nature of the support îFIGURE 13: connection details. In total, they weigh
conditions, pedestrian dynamic response View from north approximately the same as the main-
ramp showing
was investigated in detail (Figure 10). ankle-level
span steelwork.
The first five natural frequencies of lighting The stainless steel handrail (Figure
the taller straight ramp structure were 12) is supported at regular centres by
found to be 1.4Hz, 1.7Hz, 2.0Hz, 3.2Hz carbon steel posts which carry the
and 3.9Hz. These frequencies are in design loads down into a high-strength
the range that can be a concern with friction-grip (HSFG) connection and into
regards to pedestrian-induced dynamic the edge beam/bottom chord. To prevent
response. The first four modes were bi-metallic corrosion of dissimilar metals,
found to be horizontal modes and the the handrail is isolated from the posts
fifth a vertical mode. with neoprene isolators. The bottom rail
The pedestrian dynamic analysis serves a dual purpose: it supports the
methods outlined in the UK National intermediate parapet posts as well as
Annex to BS EN 1991-23 (Eurocode 1) housing and hiding the lighting box and
address vertical responses in good detail cables that provide ankle-level lighting to
and provide a straightforward method of the bridge deck.
verifying the accelerations of the bridge
deck. Drainage and lighting
The potential for lateral dynamic Drainage of the bridge is achieved by
excitation of ramps on single-column the transverse crossfall of the deck plate
supports was quickly identified. The and a longitudinal fall of the bridge. Water
SIMON KENNEDY

Eurocode gives a method for checking flows to the edges of the deck plate
that an unstable lateral response and down the bridge and ramps, being
due to crowd loading is avoided but picked up at intermediate locations using
lacks guidance on determining lateral stainless steel gullies. An 8mm thick
accelerations under pedestrian loading, polyurethane-based deck surfacing was

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 Hams Way Footbridge Project focus

panels would have on the appearance of

íFIGURE 14:
Site-welding the edge beam.
of main-span Following completion of the reinforced
steelwork concrete pad foundations and steel
columns, the ramp units were lifted
into place, working from the abutments
towards the main span. The ramps were
designed to be repeatable modular units
that could be transported in two-span
(24m) lengths within normal road haulage
limits (Figure 17).

Emerging technology in
design
3D modelling is no longer a new
technology, but as our industry becomes
more digitalised, the way in which 3D
modelling adds value to projects is
constantly evolving. Although delivery of
used, which also acts as a waterproofing the Hams Way Footbridge design was
íFIGURE 15:
layer to the bridge deck. Installation of contractually through 2D drawings, a full
LED lighting is provided at ankle level main span on 3D model of the bridge was created in
SPMTs
to minimise environmental impact and Tekla (Figure 18) and this added great
reduce glare to vehicles travelling below value to the project.
(Figure 13). Visualisations of the bridge, created by
the architect, were ultimately the greatest
Construction driver in allowing stakeholders to make
Minimising disruption to the A4440 was a informed decisions at early stages of the
key selling point of the tender design and project. Sight lines, aesthetics, lighting
the planning submission. The lightweight levels, and health and safety hazards
steel main span was chosen to allow were among the many criteria. Another
it to be installed during a minimal road valuable tool was the ability to convert
closure. the Tekla model into a virtual reality
The whole main span exceeded representation of the bridge (Figure
road transportation limits and it was 19). Nothing puts a client’s mind at ease
delivered to site in pieces. An assembly better than being able to walk around a
‘jig’ was constructed close to the main realistic virtual model of the completed
span’s final position and the transport structure!
segments were site-welded to complete Parametric models were linked to
the superstructure (Figure 14). The main the analysis software and early-stage
span was installed during a Saturday global static and stability checks
morning closure of the A4440 using self- could be carried out on many different
propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) orientations of geometry and section
(Figure 15). This installation method sizes. This allowed the steelwork to be
JOHN REES

was extremely rapid and enabled Powick optimised and prevented any surprises
Roundabout to be reopened within two at later stages in the design. Parametric
hours, before the peak Saturday morning models were also linked to the global
traffic period. Tekla model. This ensured the geometry
The approach ramps were fabricated
and transported in two-span sections
îFIGURE 17:
with end-plate HSFG bolted connections. Erection of 24m
Access to tighten the edge beam bolts section of ramp
is from a hidden hatch on the inner-lower
face of the diamond edge beam
(Figure 16), hiding any discontinuity the

ìFIGURE 16: Hidden bolted splice connection

within edge beams (cover plates omitted)

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 Project focus Hams Way Footbridge

that was used in the analysis was exactly íFIGURE 18: steel trussed arch for the main span and
3D view of main-
what was being communicated to the span pier rebar,
simple, repeated lightweight steel spans
fabricators. It also ensured the geometry coloured by bar for the approach ramps.
was mathematically defined and could be mark. Piers were Ò| The steel structure was transitioned
geometrically
represented on drawings with a concise set complex and
to low-carbon reinforced earth ramps
of parameters. ability to carry (using site-won material) as soon as the
out clash flood modelling analysis allowed.
Sustainability in design detection in 3D
environment was
Ò| Structural members were designed to
The global warming potential of the extremely helpful high utilisations, with section sizes varied
infrastructure we design is rightly coming to suit different situations.
under increasing focus across the industry Ò| Steel moment connections were detailed
in light of the UK’s commitments to to minimise the number of bracing
reach a net-zero economy by 2050, and members.
similar commitments around the world. Ò| Shallow footings were used for the
The production of construction materials ramps, with footprints optimised to
and construction activities contribute provide only the resistance required.
significantly to our carbon footprint. For Ò| Where concrete was used (ramp
infrastructure projects, the embodied footings/abutments and main-span piers
carbon in a structure is likely to dwarf the and foundations) a low-cement CEM
operational carbon emissions and so IIIA mix was specified (minimum 50%
makes up the bulk of the emissions within GGBS).
the engineer’s direct control. We therefore Ò| Concrete elements were standardised to
consider it a priority to quantify and manage allow reuse of formwork.
embodied carbon in our designs. Ò| Steel elements were generally designed
The IStructE has promoted the following for off-site manufacture and bolted
hierarchy for focusing on embodied carbon assembly on site, minimising waste
reduction in construction: i) minimise
material usage, ii) specify low-carbon
STEEL ELEMENTS WERE and pollution. SH Structures’ facility in
North Yorkshire is powered entirely from
materials, and iii) offset emissions. For GENERALLY DESIGNED renewable sources.
Hams Way Footbridge, the design team FOR OFF-SITE Ò| The ramps were designed and detailed
and supply chain all contributed to these
principles: MANUFACTURE AND almost entirely without bearings,
minimising future maintenance and
Ò| The structural form is efficient, with a BOLTED ASSEMBLY ON SITE bridge closures.

îFIGURE 19: View of Enscape VR simulation

of bridge as presented in stakeholder
meetings. Concrete on nearside pier has
been hidden to allow inspection of rebar for
constructability reviews

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 Hams Way Footbridge Project focus

An embodied carbon comparison arrangement for a bridge of this type. It’s improvement in design processes,
study has been performed to assess worth noting that optimum embodied are imperative in pushing forward the
the efficiency of the structure and the CO2 closely mirrors the optimum sustainability agenda in the structural
relative impact of different components economic solution, with reduced material engineering industry. By quantifying
(Figure 20). The method utilises guidance usage a priority in both metrics. the issue and highlighting the priorities,
outlined by the IStructE7 and the Inventory Ò| The overall estimated embodied CO2 engineers are able to focus their attention
of Carbon and Energy (ICE) database for Hams Way Footbridge is 815kg per on the most CO2-sensitive design features.
with some amendments to make it m2 deck area. This value makes it the We anticipate it becoming common
suitable for infrastructure projects. It best-performing bridge in CO2 terms practice that CO2e tools such as this are
includes lifecycle stages A1–A5, i.e. raw of any analysed by COWI so far. This is used to guide design decisions from the
material supply, transportation of material, due partly to the long approach ramps very start of projects, and that clients will
manufacturing, transport of product to site with relatively short spans, but the careful expect as much. Further integration of
and construction installation processes. For design considerations and material building information models to track carbon
meaningful comparison with other projects, specification listed above also led to a with full transparency throughout key design
the total weight of embodied carbon dramatic reduction relative to what could stages should also be encouraged. The
(kgCO2e) per functional unit of bridge (m2 of have been. authors’ organisation has developed such
deck) was calculated. Ò| 15% of the embodied carbon for the tools and is now routinely using them to
For the materials used in this project, the entire bridge can be traced back to assist with sustainable practices in design
typical A1–A3 emissions factors (based on the two main-span piers and their projects.
the ICE database v2.0) were as follows: foundations. The relative significance
Ò| Fabricated steel plate: 1.96kgCO2e/kg of these elements can be tied in part Conclusion
(including 0.3kgCO2e/kg for fabrication) to the decision to adopt inclined piers Hams Way Footbridge is an excellent
Ò| Rolled steel section: 1.53kgCO2e/kg that achieve a particular aesthetic and example of how an ordinary road span can
Ò| Concrete: 243kgCO2e/m3 meet the client’s desire for a landmark be upgraded to a ‘statement’ bridge with
Ò| Reinforcement: 1.4kgCO2e/kg. structure. Although a minor concession, a few carefully considered architectural
simple vertical piers could certainly enhancements. Complex detailing
The following conclusions are drawn have been lighter. As our environmental was delivered in a clear, buildable and
from this study: responsibilities become stricter over the sustainable way through collaboration
Ò| Unsurprisingly, the longer main span coming years, this type of compromise across the design and construction teams.
uses more CO2 per unit area than the may well become unacceptable. Digital tools were utilised to effectively
approach spans (1700kg/m2 compared Engineers will need to collaborate communicate design intent with the
with 700kg/m2). For optimum efficiency more closely with architects during the construction team, as well as to the client
of superstructure, it makes sense to concept phase to ensure that structural and many stakeholders of the bridge.
use short spans; however, this is at the efficiency leads the architectural scheme,
expense of additional substructures and rather than the other way round.
REFERENCES
foundations. We believe the repeated
12m approach spans with shallow Comparative studies such as this, as
footings are close to the optimum span well as transparency and continuous
1) Romeijn A. and Wardenier J.
(2006) 7V-7/06 The fatigue behaviour
of bird beak T-joints, Delft: Delft
University
2) Packer J., Wardenier J., Kurobane
Y., Dutta D. and Yeomans N. (1992)
Design guide for rectangular hollow
sections (RHS) under predominantly
static loading, Köln: TUV Rheinland
GmbH
3) British Standards Institution
HAVE (2003) NA+A1:2020 to BS EN 1991-
YOUR 2:2003 National Annex (informative)
SAY to BS EN 1991-2:2003, Eurocode 1:
Actions on structures. Traffic loads
on bridges, London: BSI
4) British Standards Institution
(2002) BS EN 1990:2002+A1:2005
Eurocode. Basis of structural design,
London: BSI
[email protected] 5) Kreuzinger H. (2002) ‘Dynamic
design strategies for pedestrian
and wind actions’, Footbridge
Conference, Paris, France, 20–22
November
@IStructE 6) Highways England (2020) Design
#TheStructuralEngineer
Manual for Roads and Bridges. CD
353: Design criteria for footbridges,
London: Highways England
7) Gibbons O.P. and Orr J.J. (2020)
How to calculate embodied carbon,
éFIGURE 20: Summary of equivalent embodied carbon (lifecycles A1–A5) per square metre of usable #TheStructuralEngineer London: IStructE Ltd
deck area

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 Opinion Profile

Caitlin Mueller
focused on coming up with new tools
and methods for designing buildings
MIT professor Caitlin Mueller gave the keynote that combine sustainable performance
presentation at the IStructE Digital Design and with good design,’ she says.
Computation conference in May. Here, she tells The Digital Structures research group
has a track record in developing such
Jackie Whitelaw how computer tools she’s innovative and exciting tools. Its stated
developing will help structural engineers design for aim is ‘to contribute new knowledge to
empower the design and fabrication of
zero carbon. innovative, creative and performative
architectural structures’.
AS THE URGENCY FOR NET-ZERO ‘Material reuse is a super important Its first interactive design tool was
CARBON becomes ever greater, the component of sustainability,’ she says. structureFIT, a free, web-based platform
challenge of minimising embodied ‘I’m looking at algorithms for using found for exploring the structural design of
carbon in the built environment is material in design, how you can reassign planar trusses that allows designers
going to be one of the biggest facing all those irregular shapes and come up to link geometric design variables
structural engineers in the years ahead. with a structure that responds to the with structural performance and then
Can, for instance, society’s demand material you already have,’ she explains test design alternatives that assess
for up-to-date buildings be met in part (Figure 1). ‘There is something very structural material volume, stress and
through reuse of existing structures pleasing about the idea of taking a pile of buckling.
so all that carbon already emitted can stuff and turning it into a building. At the moment, among many other
expand its value? ‘Material reuse has a long history – I things, the group is looking at an
How useful, then, would be a free have a colleague, Brandon Clifford, who automatic path planning framework
computer program that helps engineers calls it material cannibalism. My interest is for robotic construction to overcome
incorporate sections of old buildings how to do it at scale, using computation the issue of professionals working in
in a new facility, a program that would in a systematic way.’ the parametric design environment
allow a designer to envisage how an having to manually ‘plan’ for the robot
old structure could be taken apart and Developing sustainability tools – generating guiding curves for the
íFIGURE 1: Mueller is
the jigsaw of elements put together in Mueller and her Digital Structures team robot to follow that avoid collisions with
developing algorithms
a structurally sound way to be part of a at MIT are also focusing on how to to allow designers to other objects on site. The project will
brand-new building? measure the impact of city planning reuse material from overcome these limitations through
a structure in new
Caitlin Mueller, associate professor in and policy decisions on carbon in the an automated robotic path-planning
designs (with Yijiang
building technology at MIT in the USA, urban environment. ‘We are all deeply Huang, Latifa Alkhayat software layer linking design geometry
is working on just such a program. concerned about climate change and are and Catherine De Wolf) to robotic telepath code that will design
out potential collisions and other issues.

Carbon-efficient designs
In her keynote presentation at the
Institution of Structural Engineers Digital
Design and Computation conference
in May, Mueller shared some of
this expertise, demonstrating how
computational tools that have been
developed for early-stage or conceptual
design can allow buildings to be built
efficiently and practically by optimising
their geometry (Figure 2) and by
digital planning for fabrication. And
throughout, low carbon should be top
priority (Figure 3).
‘Climate change should be the
overriding priority for designers,’
Mueller says. ‘I would love engineers
and architects to be creative in how
we respond. It shouldn’t be just
decarbonise the energy in a building
and carry on as normal.

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 Profile Opinion

This limits the ability of engineers and

architects to use their design skills to
think about the process of construction.
But as fabrication processes develop,
e.g. 3D printing, designers are going to
need to understand the mechanics.’
Mueller can see tools being developed
soon to allow for lightning-fast sketch
iterations that could be converted into a
quick shop drawing to test which option
is best for manufacture and assembly.
‘That collapsing of design has a lot of
potential,’ she says. ‘This wouldn’t be
something fully automated, you’d still
need all various professional skills to get
things correct and you would still require
the hand calculation skills to verify the
soundness of design, but there is an
opportunity for quick checks on ideas so
you get to the most efficient solution.’
For the last two years, Mueller herself
has been working on a programme
that would link sketching and computer
assessment of the drawn idea. ‘Basically,
a designer would produce a sketch and
ëFIGURE 2: Efficient
‘There is decadence in the way we designs can be the computer could read it, work out how
use material, and we need to be more achieved through it would perform in reality and suggest
ENGINEERS ARE
optimisation of
responsive in the way we design to stop alternatives (Figure 4). I’m at the very
geometry (with Renaud
that. My students all understand the early stages using narrow structural
urgency, but when they go into work they MAINLY FOCUSED Danhaive)
types such as trusses, blocks and
run into the economics of construction.
It’s still cheaper to do things in the old
ON ANALYSIS AND curved frames, and the initial results are
very exciting. But as with all our artificial
ways. NEED TO CATCH intelligence tools, this needs data to
‘Change is going to require incentives UP IN TERMS OF learn on. We need to test on real-world
and regulation but also a concerted
voice from architects and engineers
TOOLS THEY USE problems.’

encouraging clients to put carbon AND THEIR Real-world applications

reduction first. We can make the tools to
help the argument.’
INFLUENCE ON To that end, Mueller and the Digital
Structures team work with major
Perhaps surprisingly to some, Mueller GEOMETRY practices to validate their more mature
thinks engineers are at a disadvantage in computer tools. They collaborated with
the field of computer design compared difficulty. DfMA decentralises the process SOM on a hotel tower to maximise the
with architects. ‘I think architects are of construction so different people can number of rooms in a tapering shape, for
more computer literate than engineers, make things in different places using example.
especially in geometry. Architects are different moulds, but that can still be ‘I like the idea of working at the cutting
using powerful tools for exuberant planned for modular assembly using the edge with new ideas and then at a later
íFIGURE 3: Low-
design, tools the engineers don’t have. right computer programmes.’ stage taking them into an actual project,’
carbon design needs
In my experience, engineers are mainly DfMA will oblige engineers, architects to be a priority, e.g. she says.
focused on analysis – even though that and contractors to emerge from their low-carbon slabs This is not surprising. Mueller
(with Mohamed Ismail,
can be really complex – and need to design silos, Mueller believes. ‘At trained first as an architect and then
Eduardo Gascon
catch up in terms of tools they use and the moment, designers design and Alvarez and Leslie as a structural engineer and worked in
their influence on geometry. That is the contractors work out how to build. Norford) practice for a couple of years. ‘I started
key to a structure, where the efficiencies during the 2008 recession and learned
including carbon are to be found.’ a huge amount working on some not
hugely important buildings. But it was a
Designing for modular very influential time for me.
construction ‘I was surprised how brittle the system
This will become increasingly important was. I’d assumed we’d have all these
as modular design for manufacture and modern tools, yet everyone was doing
assembly (DfMA) techniques take hold. what was done 20, 30, 40 years ago.
And it is where engineers and architects The need to develop new tools led me
need to work together to avoid the to MIT.’
trap of limited components. ‘I see no Mueller’s main motivation is advancing
reason why DfMA means we should limit knowledge and the MIT ethos is very
ourselves in terms of how we express philanthropic. ‘There is a strong belief
ourselves in architecture,’ Mueller says. in open source, we believe in ideas
‘The idea that it is too complex if all the development and commercialising them
parts are not the same is overblown. might limit access.’ Some of her PhD
Contractors are not overwhelmed by students have gone on to join start-up

37
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 Opinion Profile

DIGITAL
DESIGN AND
COMPUTATION
WORKSHOPS
If you’re interested in learning
more about computational
design, why not sign-up for the
Institution’s day of workshops
on 22 September?
Digital engineering experts
will run practical sessions
in optioneering through
software and techniques in
optimisation. Attendees will
learn practical aspects of:
Ò| visual scripting
companies that have been acquired by éFIGURE 4: Computer ‘There is a risk that computing can be Ò| option generation through
assessment of
mainstream suppliers, nevertheless. embraced just for expanding possibilities generative solvers
sketches could lead
She has a warning about reliance on to more efficient rather than understanding constraints. Ò| taking advantage of physics
computer design, however. ‘Computers, alternatives (with Bryan We have to use them with constraints in simulations
Ong)
you could say, pose a problem because mind, especially the impact on carbon Ò| layout optimisation for
they enable designers to understand the and the climate.’ scheme design
building less – you can’t draw it and you Ò| analysis of complex
can’t always explain how it works with HAVE geometries
hand calculations. On one hand, that YOUR Ò| automation through APIs
is very exciting, but it is also part of the SAY and scripting.
reason we see some destructiveness [email protected]
in terms of the cost of carbon in the Find out more at
built environment, because structures www.istructe.org/events/hq/
that seem impossible become possible digital-design-computation-
even though they may not be the most @IStructE workshops/.
#TheStructuralEngineer
sustainable. #TheStructuralEngineer

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your project and we’ll write up a selection for the Submit
magazine. [email protected]

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 Opinion Planning application procedures Women at work Opinion

Viewpoint

Creating a healthy workplace

– supporting and retaining
female talent
Margaret Cooke considers what the structural engineering profession can learn from other sectors
to create a culture where women and men can flourish equally at work.

International Women’s Day, International

Women in Engineering Day. I suspect my
equivocal attitude to these ‘days’ is shared by
many. A bit gimmicky maybe? Lip service?
What are they actually for? I have used the
occasion to reflect on where we are as a
profession and have found my reflection
challenging, as a female engineer, as an
employer and as a colleague.
As a profession, we are making progress in
attracting women. There have been greater
numbers of women entering the profession in
recent years and this is borne out by IStructE
membership statistics: the proportion of female
members at Student grade has increased from
just 9.9% in 2008 to 26.5% today, and women
now make up 18.3% of Graduate members.
This is a great step, but overall female
membership remains low at 15% and even
lower within the professional grades. Time will
gradually improve matters as the greater female
cohorts of students and young graduates
advance in their careers, but it takes 10 years
Breakfast or lunchtime
for a student to progress from university, into
events can offer a more
ISTOCK

practice and through graduate training before inclusive approach to

becoming professionally qualified. networking and training
We must think about how these women will
fare in a male-dominated profession and we
should consider how their experiences will
affect efforts to increase the number of young better able to win top talent and improve their of the population.
women enrolling on engineering degrees. customer orientation, employee satisfaction and
We cannot rely on the small number of decision making. Learning from others
professional females to be the role models for This plays out in financial performance, with So, what can steps can we take to make sure
every girl, and we also cannot rely on these gender-diverse companies outperforming their that we retain the women who are now entering
women to change our workplace culture to rivals by 15% (and ethnically diverse companies the profession? Well, we can start by learning
make it attractive. It is the overwhelming outperforming by 35%). As an industry, if we fail from other industries. Thirty years ago, Deloitte
majority of senior male colleagues who have to to attract and look after our women, it leaves us & Touche (D&T) noticed that it was losing huge
create that cultural shift. poorer financially and represents a massive loss numbers of expensively trained female talent
of talent and training investment. We will be less between recruitment and senior level. To its
Why does balance matter? able to serve clients and design teams properly credit it started digging into why this was
Before we tackle the question of how we – there is no doubt that diverse perspectives in happening: rather than making lazy
change the gender balance, we should step a team leads to better design2. assumptions about women going off to have
back and remind ourselves why it matters. Is On top of that, construction continues to babies, putting their families first or not being
there anything inherently wrong in having such suffer from a poor public image, and in the UK suited to the cutthroat world of business, it
unequal workplaces? The answer is a there is a skills shortage of tens of thousands of asked what was really happening. The summary
resounding ‘yes!’ McKinsey analysis1 shows employees predicted over the next decade. We of research3 is well worth reading, as it is
that businesses with diverse leadership seem simply cannot afford to be unattractive to 50% relevant to our industry today.

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 Opinion
Opinion Planning
Women application
at work procedures

The lessons learned were: make sure that the calm, thoughtful voices are
Ò| Ask, don’t assume. Don’t assume that a new being heard just as loudly.
mother will no longer want to work away
from home or relocate; ask her. WHAT IS GOOD FOR Reassuringly, one piece of research5
highlights the importance of the ‘microclimate’.
Ò| Watch the type of work you give your WOMEN, AND WHAT The authors found that, even in quite difficult
employees. D&T realised that its women
tended to be allocated clients in retail,
MAKES A FEMALE- organisations, women would stay if their
immediate colleagues, in particular the line
healthcare or non-profit organisations. These FRIENDLY manager, created an environment in which they
tended also to be less prestigious clients, WORKPLACE, IS felt nurtured and supported.
which in turn led to the women not being
promoted because they were not heading up
ALSO GOOD FOR An individual line manager can open
opportunity and provide encouragement and
the high-revenue, high-profile assignments. EVERYONE ELSE constructive feedback. They can make their
Ò| Beware of self-fulfilling prophesies. Women junior colleague more visible in the organisation.
were not given key clients because they were Even in businesses where the broader
known to leave and clients favour continuity. engineers go to recuperate when they burn environment was poor, a good line manager
Inevitably, the women got fed up of never themselves out on intensive, highly profitable, could be the difference between retention and
getting the big accounts and left. highly stressful projects? Do they, in turn, departure.
Ò| Women get evaluated on performance, men become the team that does kind, local projects Every individual in an organisation has a part
get evaluated on potential. D&T discovered for charity organisations and, like at D&T, do the to play in creating a positive atmosphere so,
that men were being given opportunities female leaders not get promoted because they even if you despair of your company, you can
assuming that they would grow into the role, do not have the key profitable clients? create a microclimate where your female
whereas women were held back until they colleagues can thrive. This was my personal
were fully ready. Perhaps a paternalistic wish Lessons for the structural experience – I consider myself pretty robust, but
to protect? The outcome was that women engineering profession as a young graduate my sanity (and career) was
were not being given opportunities to stretch I do not have answers to these questions, in saved by being moved into a team where my
themselves. part because, as far as I can see4, no one has immediate colleagues encouraged me to
Ò| Introducing flexible working transformed the done the research in companies in the built believe in my ability.
culture in ways which were beneficial for environment. But the hypothesis might be worth Networking events and training opportunities
everyone, allowing both men and women to following. We need to create measures which which are inclusive are good for everyone, not
find better balance in their lives. reward not only profitable teams, but teams with just women. For many people, breakfast or
Ò| Young men want the same as young women. good staff retention, teams where employees lunch time is much easier to deal with than
They expected to be home for their children feel satisfied with their work and the leadership. evenings. This is particularly true for parents for
and have equal relationships with their The use of 360° reviews which give employee whom the cost of babysitting can be prohibitive:
partners. The old world, where one man happiness as much weight as profitability or a lunchtime event can be contained within the
brings in sufficient income to support a wife turnover should be embedded in every normal working day and, if really necessary, that
and children, was long gone. They were not business. Excessive staff turnover is extremely report can be written later, at home, while the
interested in earning an enormous income if costly, disruptive and unsettling – not just in children sleep.
that meant they missed out on everything project work, but in the cost of hiring and Online events run by the IStructE have had
else. training new staff. If this is not reflected in an enormous take up and resulted in far higher
leaders’ performance reviews, then we miss the numbers of attendees from all over the world
Unconscious bias opportunity to learn valuable lessons. than was the case when such events were held
These findings were examples of unconscious We need to challenge ourselves and our only in the evenings at London HQ. Try to
bias – assumptions about what women wanted, biases. A man who arrives late to a meeting broaden the type of events your organisation
what they would be good at and what they explaining that his child scraped their knee on favours to alternatives which may be more
would find fulfilling. Assumptions were also the way to school will get some sympathy and inclusive: a trip to the theatre, a walking tour of
being made about what clients wanted: ‘they probably a glow of approval. ‘What a nice, your local area at a lunch time, or a breakfast
employed me initially, so presumably my caring father’. How many women would feel as meeting with croissants rather than an evening
successor should be someone else like me’. comfortable giving the same explanation? In the beer-fest.
The clients were probably evolving, but D&T right atmosphere it would not be an issue, but in
was not evolving with them. the wrong atmosphere she would feel that such An opportunity for change
Unconscious bias threads through so many an explanation immediately undermines her As women, we also have a responsibility to look
areas of our lives that it is hard to tackle it. What hard-won position and allows people to after ourselves. This extends well beyond the
we can do is start to notice bias and the effect it question her dedication to the job. workplace into our home lives. Single men and
has. Take, for instance, the words that we use: As colleagues, we can be aware of the women do roughly equal quantities of
a man is ‘assertive’, a woman is ‘aggressive’; a atmosphere we create. If you perceive your housework, but when women start to cohabit,
man is ‘confident’, a woman is ‘strident’. female counterpart as ‘bossy’ rather than their housework time goes up while men’s goes
The way women deal with this is to step back ‘confident’, what is it that has created that down, regardless of employment status6. Even
a little – they create team environments where perception? Why does she need to raise her in high-income households, according to the
their views can be heard calmly and evenly. voice to be heard? Women are the ‘canaries in ONS, women typically do 12 hours of
They sidestep the issue by changing the the coal mine’ – if the women in your office are housework per week while men do eight hours7.
atmosphere so that they do not need to be not being listened to, then it is likely that the Over a working lifetime, that is a huge additional
‘strident’ or ‘bossy’. introverts are not being heard either and you are burden.
Does this mean that they get a reputation for inadvertently favouring only the super-confident. No one can change this except ourselves
being nurturing? Do they inadvertently end up Engineering is not a profession for the and our partners, but if we are to really get
becoming the ‘first aid’ team in the office where super-confident – if we are to be safe, we must equal opportunities in the workplace, we must

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 Women at work Opinion

make sure we are not doing all the work at REFERENCES

home on top of our paid work. It is challenging
– we have to stand back and watch someone
else do the laundry the ‘wrong’ way – but if we
do not make changes at home, why should we 1) Hunt V., Layton D. and Prince S. (2015)
expect our colleagues to make changes in the Why diversity matters [Online] Available at:
workplace? www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/
Women are culturally expected to be organization/our-insights/why-diversity-
nurturing, caring and to understand that work matters# (Accessed: May 2021)
sits within a wider context of society. This has 2) Rock D. and Grant H. (2016) ‘Why
led to assumptions about whether women truly Diverse Teams Are Smarter’, Harvard FURTHER READING
take their careers seriously and assumptions, Business Review [Online] Available at:
therefore, about what they want and are willing https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-diverse-teams-
to give (or give up) for their work. are-smarter (Accessed: May 2021)
Gender and the Economy website
This is a moment to reconsider what any of 3) McCracken D.M. (2000) ‘Winning the (www.gendereconomy.org) – particularly
us are willing to give up for work. All of us Talent War for Women: Sometimes It good on how men can make themselves
should be able to combine our work with the Takes a Revolution’, Harvard Business allies in the workplace and how to change
other things that make life meaningful – whether Review [Online] Available at: https://hbr. attitudes and atmosphere.
org/2000/11/winning-the-talent-war-for-
that is pursuing our passion for music, collecting Bonfield D. (2020) Microinequalities – what
women-sometimes-it-takes-a-revolution
our children from school, taking our father to the they are and how to spot them [Online]
(Accessed: May 2021)
doctor or contemplating a design issue while Available at: www.istructe.org/resources/
doing the ironing. These are skills and values 4) The Equilibrium Network website blog/microinequalities-what-they-are/
which make our lives meaningful and our [Online] Available at: https://equilibrium- (Accessed: May 2021)
network.com (Accessed: May 2021)
society better and they do not ‘belong’ to Bonfield D. (2020) Three tools for handling
women. What is good for women, and what 5) Fernando D., Cohen L. and Duberley microinequalities [Online] Available at: www.
makes a female-friendly workplace, is also good J. (2018) How to help women sustain istructe.org/resources/blog/three-tools-for-
for everyone else. careers in male-dominated spaces handling-microinequalities/ (Accessed: May
[Online] Available at: https://blogs.lse. 2021)
Covid-19 has given us an extraordinary
ac.uk/businessreview/2018/08/28/how-
opportunity to rethink how we work, when we Criado Perez C. (2019) Invisible Women:
to-help-women-sustain-careers-in-male-
work and why we work. We need to engage in dominated-spaces/ (Accessed: Exposing data bias in a world designed for
an honest conversation about what our May 2021) men, London: Chatto & Windus
workplaces look like and what we value in our PWC (2019) Women in Work Index 2019:
6) The Conversation (2017) Census
lives. If we can do that, if we can truly challenge Turning policies into effective action [Online]
2016: Women are still disadvantaged
ourselves, then we have a fighting chance of by the amount of unpaid housework Available at: www.pwc.co.uk/economic-
looking at some far more positive statistics on they do [Online] Available at: https:// services/WIWI/pwc-women-in-work-2019-
the gender balance in our profession in 10 theconversation.com/census-2016-women- final-web.pdf (Accessed: May 2021)
years’ time. are-still-disadvantaged-by-the-amount-
of-unpaid-housework-they-do-76008
(Accessed: May 2021) HAVE
Margaret Cooke 7) Office for National Statistics YOUR
BSc (Hons), CEng, MIStructE (2017) Women shoulder the SAY
responsibility of ‘unpaid work’ [email protected]
Margaret is a Conservation Accredited Engineer [Online] Available at: www.ons.gov.uk/
and Director of Integral Engineering. She leads employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/
the conservation and reuse side of the business earningsandworkinghours/articles/
and also oversees the HR functions of the womenshouldertheresponsibilityofunpaid
@IStructE
practice. work/2016-11-10 (Accessed: May 2021) #TheStructuralEngineer #TheStructuralEngineer

Enter a sketch in the next competition – deadline 30 August 2021

The Drawing Board Sketches must be: To take part, submit your
is The Structural • hand drawn (no CAD, except for ‘guided free- entries to: [email protected]
Engineer’s quarterly hand’)
Each published entry will
sketching competition, • from a real project or assignment
receive a free single e-book
judged by Ron Slade • at a suitable scale for publication (i.e. not too
from the Institution’s current
FIStructE of WSP. intricate/detailed).
list of titles.
Please also submit a short description (150 words)
to put the sketch into context. Background sketch by Kevin Lyons (Lyons O’Neill)

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 Opinion letters

Verulam
Send letters to…
HAVE All contributions to Verulam should be
YOUR submitted via email to: [email protected]

SAY Contributions may be edited on the grounds

of style and/or length by the Institution's
Readers’ letters, comments and queries publishing department.

More on safety While the authors may be correct

that loadings have a high level
factors of conservatism, there are wider
considerations of latent defects and
MELVIN HURST through-life changes to be taken into
I read with interest Arthur Coates’s account. It is my experience that
Viewpoint (‘Embracing probability’, structures are capable of sustaining
April 2021) on the future of safety several major defects due to their
factors as we know them. I could robustness, but failure often occurs with
readily appreciate the crux of his three or more defects combined. Part
argument, namely that if the actual of this robustness is the conservative
loads acting on a structure could be approach to design loading, which often
known more accurately, then this allows for loss of strength derived from
would lead to an economy of material modifications (sometimes uncontrolled
used, although I would say that this and not assessed) with change of
view is self-evident, without knowing use, ageing mechanisms or accidental
the intricacies of Bayesian theory. Verulam is happy to host blue-sky damage. Reducing conservatism in
His call for means to be incorporated thinking wherever it might lead. It’s design will inevitably see an increase in
into new and existing structures for clear this subject has generated failures and potential loss of life.
measuring actual loads is eminently interest. We should not get this It is important that engineers consider
sensible; getting owners to stand the topic out of perspective. For the loading levels as part of a whole
cost of it is quite another matter. vast majority of designs, safety and package rather than in isolation. The
He states that we, as structural economy are achieved by same applies, of course, to all the other
engineers, should have a better grasp straightforward rules and ones that parameters that affect the performance
of the probability of failure, implying give decent margins to cope with of a structure.
that generally we don’t. However, uncertainty. But when it comes to
since the introduction of CP 110 in the more complex structures or The Structural Engineer has
early 1970s, failure has been defined considering reuse or appraising published a number of letters on
as the overlap of two ‘probabilities existing structures, it is not sensible this topic, some for and some
of exceedance’, one for loading and to condemn on the simple basis of against. In all circumstances,
the other for material strength. Partial ‘overloading’. An understanding of loading and its conservatism (or not)
factors of safety were set so that this the prescriptive basis helps make need to be looked at as part of the
overlap was such that the probability rational judgment on likely capacity. total package that assures safety.
of failure was at an acceptable level. More views are welcome.
However, an alarm bell rang in
my head when it was asked: ‘could Floor loadings
we just get rid of safety factors and RORY BAIRD TIM MANDER
design structures for plastic failure I write with reference to the article in Further to comments in Verulam (May
scenarios?’ The caveat was that such the May 2021 issue of The Structural 2021) concerning floor loads, I would like
subjects such as serviceability and Engineer advocating a reduction in to raise the following:
the effects on finishes must also be design floor loadings as a means of Designing floors for filing cabinets is
considered, but the glaring omission reducing embodied carbon (‘A weight off no longer a reasonable argument for
was that of stability. your mind: floor loadings and the climate increased floor loads. Most businesses
While I would be prepared to stand emergency’). The safety implications of are now paperless and filing cabinets
on a beam that had been designed this proposal do not appear to have been are a thing of the past. Similarly, with
for exactly my weight and rely on fully appreciated and, as it is the second book storage and libraries, this is
the inbuilt material safety factors time I have seen reduced floor loadings again almost obsolete as virtually every
incorporated in the beam design to being advocated, I am concerned that document is online. Justifying increased
ensure an acceptable factor of safety the idea is gaining wider approval. loading due to a Christmas party is
against the beam collapsing, I would again not a credible argument unless
certainly not be happy to stand on people are packed in like at a rock
the end of a plank, overlooking a cliff concert.
edge, with my weight balanced by an On the rare occasion that structures
equal weight on the plank equidistant REDUCING CONSERVATISM need strengthening due to a change of
from the other side of the pivot point. IN DESIGN WILL INEVITABLY client use resulting in increased loads,
I should certainly feel much safer if
that balance weight were at least 50%
SEE AN INCREASE IN there is carbon-fibre reinforcement
which can provide a practical solution
greater than mine! FAILURES with minimal intrusion.

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 Letters Opinion

Having enough factors of safety so Ò| our family (meeting their needs,

we can comfortably sleep at night is including times of fun and relaxation) WE HAVE TO MOVE WITH
not a justification for overdesigning.
We should all be equally losing sleep
Ò| a social hobby of some sort – not
connected with work or family.
THE TIMES, AND USE THE
on how we are going to address TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE
the climate emergency. It is worth Examples of the latter include the TO BECOME MORE
reminding ourselves of the definition
of emergency: ‘a serious, unexpected,
rugby club, the sailing club, the local
choir (all that maths we engineers enjoy EFFECTIVE
and often dangerous situation requiring is a great asset in choral singing!) or
immediate action’. We have clearly any grouping that gives social cohesion, we must make every effort to include
failed this current generation and we relaxation and purpose without burden. international members in decision
need a paradigm shift in our thinking. Of course, the local choir might also be making.
Engineers are prolific specifiers of associated with a faith group and bring We have all got used to virtual
carbon, frequently specifying many to us a sense of the transcendent – so meetings during the last year, so have
tonnes each day, and even small important to our full health. experienced how easy it is talk to our
changes to a design can often make So, to all highly stressed readers, I colleagues anywhere in the world. Like
enormous differences compared say – make sure you have your triangle, any organization, we have to move with
with our personal yearly carbon. It is and keep each side in balance! the times, and use the technologies
really encouraging to see the carbon available to become more effective,
debate moving forward and how Wise words. Verulam would add that efficient and economic.
many practices have signed up to the our work can be very stressful, and The construction industry has often
Engineers Declare pledge, but now is we should recognise we are a led the way with new technologies –
the time to start delivering on what we community. Helping and supporting we were the first to adopt the metric
have all signed up to do. our colleagues, especially younger system, and using computers for design
ones, is a vital part of day-to-day over 50 years ago – so virtual meetings
This is another school of thought. activity. should be a piece of cake for us.
Perhaps we also need a crystal I’m based in the south of France with
ball to see how office use might
change in the future? In praise of no regional group, so rely totally on
direct communications with IStructE,
virtual meetings webinars, etc. I suspect that many other

A balanced life DAVID BRETT

international members are in the same
boat, so let’s do it and go virtual as well
TIM J. SMITH The virtual EGM held on 6 May 2021 in future.
Andy Leask’s Viewpoint on the state of had a record attendance of around 200
mental health in our industry (‘Mental participants. This is about three times Many of the Institution’s committee
health in construction: who’s looking as many as would normally attend such meetings are now online and many
out for management?’, May 2021) meetings, even when they coincide with regional and HQ lectures are
made sombre but necessary reading a Council meeting. available online to watch. So, we
and, of course, the issue of work–life Now that our Institution is really have moved with the times.
balance was raised. A management international, and a significant proportion We’ll have to see how people’s
exercise our team was involved in of our membership is outside the UK, it preferences work out in the future,
many years ago could be of interest to is essential that we try to keep them fully but clearly distance is now no
readers. As engineers, we all of course engaged with all the important decisions obstacle to ease of communication.
put great emphasis on the strength concerning the future of the Institution.
of the triangle of forces, and so we
talked about the work–life balance, and
Virtual meetings are the easiest way
to do this, even if they are held ‘in Sketching is
managing the stresses that life brings,
as a triangle of forces for our self-
person’ (face to face) as well. I would
guess that much of the future growth of
still essential
management. membership will be internationally, so DAVID WILSON
We concluded that there are I wholeheartedly agree with Florian
three essential sides to our life – not Foerster’s view that sketching is an
just work and home. Furthermore, ‘essential’ skill (Verulam, May 2021).
while each of the sides of our ‘life The first engineer I worked with used
triangle’ may vary in length (and other to say, ‘If you can’t draw your design,
properties) over any period of time, the how can you expect someone else to?’
three sides must stay connected at all Forty years later, the task I enjoy most
times. If one breaks, the strength of is sketching, and problem solving (for
the triangle is no more. me) starts with pencil and paper.
The three sides are: So, young engineers, if you want
Ò| our work (and commitment to to impress your line manager, start
competence, integrity and duty to sketching. You’ll be surprised how much
employer, etc.) – and our employers it helps to think in 3D.
must realise that they cannot have
our whole life Well, the advice is clear!

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AKT II

Opinion Letters

carried out staff surveys about returning

Public to work and discovered that up to 90%

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A wish to continue working from home.

recognition CAMPAIGN PUBLICLY
So, instead of the ‘pack-em-in’ open-
plan offices which rely on lighting and air
ROGER FAIRES
Picking up on the recent letters from
CORRECTING MEDIA conditioning, we could probably return
to the traditional ‘egg crate’ office with
David Brett and Gordon Howdle OUTLETS, MPS AND natural lighting and ventilation.
(Verulam, April 2021 and May 2021 OTHERS WHO ONLY TALK Hot desking is much more practical
respectively), I wholeheartedly agree
that there needs to be an action plan ABOUT A BUILDING AS now, with computers and all your
files in the cloud, so you don’t need a
for greater public recognition. However, ‘DESIGNED BY SO AND SO dedicated office, and can just book one
given our Institution’s international
outreach, I’ve increasingly wondered if it
ARCHITECT’ or a conference room as required.
The ‘egg crate’ office may be more
has the remit and focus for what is often wasteful of space – about 55% is
highlighted as a very UK issue. usable, whereas around 75% is usable
A hangover of old is that our very in open-plan offices. However, privacy
regional groups in the UK report into and reduced noise levels are better in
Council meetings, where I’m sure traditional offices, which may be more
Council is less focused on local issues. important when hot desking.
Maybe there needs to be a UK panel It’s usually essential for personnel and
or committee below Council with a UK finance departments to be separated
remit and even budget to then take the anyway, as they are handling sensitive
lead on public recognition that David and confidential information. Cyber
rightly asked for. security will probably become more
Personally, I would like to see a important when hot desking, unless this
campaign publicly correcting media is within company premises where it can
outlets, MPs and others who only talk be more easily controlled.
about a building as ‘designed by so and Open-plan offices are ‘super
so architect’, as if engineers didn’t exist. spreader’ areas for infection, so will
probably be less popular in future as we
Verulam will see if the Institution is embrace hybrid working between home
able to update members on what it stock brickwork cement mortar by the and office.
is doing about our public image. London County Council in is 5 tons/ The traditional office with natural
ft2. (5 tons/ft2 = 77.7lbs/in2 = 0.5357N/ ventilation and daylight working will also

Origin of mm2.) I have no idea if this includes

any factors for slenderness. Of course,
be much ‘greener’ and contribute to the
climate change initiative. It would also
brickwork much of the housing stock in London
was built with cement lime mortar or
be more easily converted to other uses
such as housing now that we have to
values even lime mortar. think about reusability.
Just one of those things I have been
NICK KRAMER wondering about for 40 odd years. No doubt there will be huge
I was wondering if anyone has a definitive implications for our industry
source for the value of 0.42N/mm2 for Are there any members with the whatever happens: if we don’t need
brickwork in existing buildings. I started right knowledge who can advise? offices, a large chunk of workload
work in 1975 and was reliably informed will disappear. On the other hand, if
then that this would be accepted by the
London District Surveyors Association, Open-plan we do retain high-rise offices but
need to keep physical separation,
but it left in 1986 with the demise of the
Greater London Council. The value is
offices how will the lift system work? How
will we train younger staff if we
quoted in Hammersmith and Fulham DAVID BRETT leave them isolated? Plenty to think
Building Control’s guide to structural The pandemic will probably have long- about. One thing is for sure: every
alterations as the stress under beam lasting effects on the way we work in nation needs a reliable backbone of
bearings. Some engineers apply a future. Some large companies have fast broadband.
BS5628 factor to the 0.42 to get 0.63N/
mm2 for a bearing, but that can be
contentious.
I have seen references to CP 111, Correction
but that dates to 1948 and the buildings
we use this on are far older (0.42N/mm2 The letter from Alastair Hughes on floor loading in the May issue
equates to 61lb/in2.) contained an error. The formula for LLR should have read α = 1 −
My 1909 Mitchell’s Building A/1000, not 2α = 1 − A/1000. We apologise to Alastair for the error. A
Construction. Volume 2: Advanced corrected version of the letter is available online.
Course states that the safe value for

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 Diary dates At the back

Unless otherwise stated,

evening technical meetings
start at 18:00 and are free of
charge to attend.
Diary dates
Note that more current information may be available from
History Study Group meetings
start at 18:00 and are free of the Institution website: www.istructe.org/events
charge to attend. Registration
is not required except for the
Annual Business Meeting held
in January. Thursday 1 July Price: Members: £295 + VAT (Early
Novel materials series: Designing with Booking: £255 + VAT); Standard: £395 +
Industry workshops and CPD
straw bale VAT (Early Booking: £335 + VAT)
courses are held at HQ unless
otherwise stated. Presenters: James Norman and Craig White Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2021/
12:30−13:45 tall-buildings-design-analysis-jun-2021
Price: Members £45.50 + VAT (single) / £225.00
ONLINE CONFERENCE + VAT (series); Standard £70.00 + VAT (single) Tuesday 15 June
Wednesday 7−Thursday 8 July / £365.00 + VAT (series); Student discount Circular economy panel debate
Reuse and life extension of existing available: please contact [email protected] 18:00−19:15
structures e-conference Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/novel- Price: Free
Keynote speaker: Steve Fernandez materials-webinar-series-3/ Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/
Presenter: Fiona Cobb circular-economy-panel-debate
13:00−17:00 ONLINE CPD COURSES
Price: Members: £155 + VAT (until 7 June); Tuesday 8 June Thursday 17 June
Standard: £245 + VAT (until 7 June) Designing for blast resilience and resistance fibUK: Bringing design to reality
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/ Presenters: Piroozan Aminossehe and Bob 18:00−19:15
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10:00−17:30 Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/
ONLINE LECTURE Price: Members: £295 + VAT (Early Booking: bringing-design-to-reality
Wednesday 23 June £255 + VAT); Standard: £395 + VAT (Early
James Sutherland History Lecture 2021 Booking: £335 + VAT) Monday 28 June
Nina Baker, Fiona Cobb, Jane Entwistle Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2021/ Eurocode 5: the essentials of timber
and Andrew Smith blast-2021 design
18:00−19:15 Presenter: Dr Keerthi Ranasinghe
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Register: www.workcast.com/ Presentation skills for engineers Price: Members: £295 + VAT (Early
register?cpak=2051620518553160 Presenter: Penny Taylor Booking: £255 + VAT); Standard: £395 +
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Overcoming the challenges of connecting Booking: £735 + VAT)
precast to precast and in situ concrete Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2021/ Tuesday 29−Wednesday 30 June
Presenters: Sally Stracey and Steve presentation-skills-workshop-june-2021 Managing engineering projects
Fordham Presenter: David Atkinson
09:00−10:00 Thursday 10−Friday 11 June 10:00−17:30 (both days)
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Presenters: Peter Maxwell, Emily seismic-design-structures groups
McDonald, Neil Smith and Alex Wraight
17:00−18:00 Monday 14−Thursday 19 June Chester and North Wales
Booking: www.istructe.org/events/hq/2021/ Expert witness: an introduction
east-bank-queen-elizabeth-park Presenters: The Academy of Experts Thursday 10 June
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Tuesday 22 June Price: Members: £495 + VAT; Standard: £655 (Online only)
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£70 + VAT Design and analysis of tall buildings technology
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structural- health-monitoring 10:00−17:30

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 At the back Diary dates

Midland Counties Price: Free Register: www.istructe.org/events/western-counties/

Register: www.istructe.org/events/wales/lean- the-dorset-house-an-application-of-passive-house
Thursday 24 June awareness-for-structural-engineers
Potential for metal 3D printing in structural INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
engineering Western Counties
Presenter: Zeina Al-Nabulsi
USA
18:00 Wednesdays, 2 June−7 July
Price: Free Eurocode 3 design of steelwork structures Wednesday 2–Friday 4 June
Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/potential- (Online only) SCI Structural Virtual 2021 (Online)
for-metal-3d-printing-in-structural-engineering- Presenter: Bob Benton Keynote speakers: Oliver Broadbent, Stacie Sire,
tickets-154017583739 15:30−19:30 Ron Klemencic
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Northern Ireland Booking: www.istructe.org/events/western-counties/ Register: [email protected]
eurocode-3-design-of-steelwork- structures
Tuesday 8 June 2022
Fire engineering for structural engineers Monday 17 June
Presenters: John Noone, Toby McCorry and Ross Expert witness cases − recurring themes and Cape Town, South Africa
Johnston lessons to be learned (Online only)
13:00–17:00 Presenters: Professor Don McQuillan and Darren Monday 5–Wednesday 7 September
Price: Standard: £50; Students: £25 Byrne Eighth International Conference on Structural
Booking: Booking form to be returned by 18:00−19:30 Engineering, Mechanics and Computation
4 June 2021 Price: Free Deadline for special session proposals:
Contact: [email protected] Register: www.istructe.org/events/western-counties/ 30 June 2021
expert-witness-cases-recurring-themes-and-lessons Deadline for abstract submission:
Wales 30 September 2021
Wednesday 7 July Contact: Prof. Alphose Zingoni
Tuesday 8 June The Dorset House – an application of passive ([email protected])
Lean awareness for structural engineers house principles to structural design (Online only)
(Online only) Presenter: George Holland Regional Group Committee members
Presenter: Steve Matthews 18:00−19:00 should submit details of forthcoming
18:00−19:30 Price: Free events to: [email protected]

Earthquake
research funding
The EEFIT Research Grant supports short
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MVSSV^PUNTHQVYLHY[OX\HRLZ istructe.org/EEFIT-research-grant
–––
Deadline: 2 July 2021

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 Spotlight on Structures At the back

Access to Structures
is free to paying-grade
Institution members as
one of their membership
benefits, via the ‘My
account’ section of the
Institution website.
The journal is available
online at: www.
structuresjournal.org

Read the latest issue

Volume 31 of Structures (June 2021) is now available to read at
www.sciencedirect.com/journal/structures/vol/31.
Editor-in-Chief, Leroy Gardner, has selected a paper on fatigue
analysis of wire arc 3D printed components as his ‘Featured
Article’ from this issue. The article will be available free of charge
for six months.

Editor-in-Chief’s Featured Article

Fatigue analysis of wire arc Subsequently, randomly based
Call for papers
additive manufactured (3D finite-element (FE) simulations are SEMC 2022: Eighth
printed) components with carried out to expand the findings. International Conference
unmilled surface The statistical characteristics of the on Structural Engineering,
Helen Bartsch, Ronny Kühne, surface provide the input values for Mechanics and Computation,
Sandro Citarelli, Simon Schaffrath, the Monte-Carlo (MC) simulation. 5–7 September 2022, Cape
Markus Feldmann Here, the fatigue strengths of Town, South Africa
Institute of Steel Construction, RWTH single-wire and multiple-wire welded SEMC 2022 aims to bring
Aachen University, Germany components have been compared together academics, researchers
applying the effective notch stress and practitioners in all areas of
Abstract concept performing over 2200 structural engineering and related
First investigations have been simulations. Finally, a fatigue detail disciplines (including mechanics
carried out on the characterisation classification for surfaces of WAAM of materials and structures, and
of the as-welded surface roughness components is given following the associated computation), to
of unmilled wire arc additive principles of EN 1993-1-9. review recent achievements in
manufactured (WAAM) components, the advancement of knowledge
followed by an experimental Ò| Read the full paper at https://doi.
and understanding in these areas,
determination of the fatigue strength. org/10.1016/j.istruc.2021.01.068 share the latest developments, and
address the challenges that the
present and the future pose.
Authors are invited to prepare
an abstract of 200–300 words,
and submit this to the Conference
Editor, Prof. Alphose Zingoni of the
University of Cape Town, via email
([email protected]).

Abstract submission deadline:

30 September 2021
Further information:
www.semc.uct.ac.za

Register for alerts

If you’d like to receive regular updates about new content in Structures, register for email alerts at www.sciencedirect.com/.

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