EDITOR’S NOTE

The Third International Conference on Forensic Engineering organized by the Structures and Building Board of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) will be held in London, November 10–11, 2005. The conference is cosponsored by ASCE and by the following UK organizations: Health and Safety Executive, Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), and Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS). Focus of the conference will be on diagnosing failures in constructed environments and on learning the lessons so that the potential for future problems will be reduced. Further information is available at the conference Web site: http:∕∕www.forensicengineering2005.com.

Publication of color figures in the printed versions of ASCE journal papers is costly. Special quality paper is used for papers with color figures, and the color publication process involves additional production expenses. While color figures are desirable, and even necessary for some figures, the costs associated with color production are passed on to the authors. Most authors choose to submit their figures for black-and-white reproduction to avoid these charges. (See “Bridge Management and Nondestructive Evaluation,” by Rens, Nogueira, and Transue [February 2005] for the most recent example of a printed paper with color figures.)

With the publication of online versions of ASCE journals, another option is emerging. The ASCE Publications Division is planning to offer authors the option of submitting two sets of figures—one set in black and white for the print version, and one set in color for posting in the online version. This option may be available at no cost to the authors as there are no expected additional costs to ASCE. The use of color figures will improve the visual quality of ASCE journal Web pages, making them more attractive to online readers. The growth of demand for ASCE publications through Internet access should make this an attractive option for our authors and readers. By the time this editor’s note is published, the details for implementation of this policy may be resolved. Interested authors should discuss the option with ASCE publications staff while preparing final manuscripts for publication.

Reducing the potential for progressive structural collapse is one design strategy recommended by a number of recent forensic investigations. Progressive collapse is defined as a structural failure that is disproportionate to the original triggering event. Structures that are capable of spanning over a local failure while retaining their overall structural integrity will not experience progressive collapse. Progressive structural failures frequently occur in windstorms, seismic events, vehicle∕structure collisions, and accidental gas explosions. In a few cases, structures have experienced total catastrophic collapse as the result of removal of one or two critical structural elements.

The current focus on this subject is driven by concerns related to intentional damage by terrorists. The desire for increased structural integrity and redundancy is a common topic at homeland security conferences, and design against progressive collapse dominates discussion of these issues. Our colleagues in the United Kingdom have experience in this area through the “robustness” provisions in their building codes. (Indeed, some of the pioneering work on progressive collapse mitigation was accomplished in the UK as a result of the dramatic structural failure of the Ronan Point housing project in 1968. The paper by Pearson and Delatte, appearing in this issue, reviews this interesting and influential case history.) Adopting similar strategies for design in the United States has implications not only for structural engineers, but also for architects. The architectural configuration of future public buildings may be substantially influenced by emerging design guidelines.

The editorial board for the Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities encourages authors to submit manuscripts on topics related to progressive collapse or its mitigation. Case histories, papers on analytical techniques, and structural and∕or architectural implications (especially for multistory and longspan structures) are among the topics for which papers are desired. A special topic issue, “Mitigation of the Potential for Progressive Structural Collapse,” is planned for publication in 2006.

Should you wish to discuss this topic, or any other relevant idea for a paper, please let me know. I can be contacted by mail: Kenneth L. Carper, School of Architecture & Construction Management, College of Eng. & Architecture, P.O. Box 642220, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164-2220; by telephone: (509) 335-1229; by FAX: (509) 335-6132; or by e-mail: [email protected].