Annual Dinner

The modern trend of structural development is to reduce weight, and simultaneously to increase structural efficiency. A powerful means for realising these aims is to be found in the use of sections of thin walled proportions. Such sections, on account of their lightness, together with outlines chosen for maximum stiffness, give a high load-carrying capacity to structural weight ratio. W. Shearer Smith

This month's letters cover codes for seismic design, as well as praise for articles published on covered timber bridges and reusing concrete.

This collection of 20 academic papers covering a wide range of case studies and countries will be of use to researchers delving into embodied carbon in the built environment, writes Will Arnold.