640 publications from this institution
After more than 75 years continuous exposure to the Pacific Ocean waters on the Queensland coast, the 879 reinforced concrete driven piles that supported the superstructure of the Hornibrook Highway Bridge appeared to be in remarkably good condition when the bridge was demolished during 2011–2012. Detailed investigations revealed excellent, very hard concrete with pH values still around 12 and very little evidence of serious corrosion of the steel reinforcement. The concrete chloride content at the reinforcement was considerably more than the usually accepted limits. However, a few isolated occurrences of very severe localised reinforcement corrosion were found during demolition even though there was little visual external evidence. Possible reasons for the various observations are discussed, together with the practical implications.
Debate concerning the role, authority and complexity of contemporary structural codes has persisted in Australia and overseas for many years. Beneath the surface of the debate there exist questions of professional responsibility to society, the rapid advance of technology, and the place of innovative engineering endeavour. The Report examines contemporary literature, and assesses the results of a widely circulated request for opinion. Conflicting views of different user groups are identified. The traditional roles of codes as multi-user documents, as vehicles for communicating information, and as educational resources are examined. The profession's view of codes is interpreted and a proposal put forward as to what should be the Institution of Engineers position on the philosophy, form and drafting of codes for assessment by the profession at large.
