Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Volume 145 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 Excerpt: ...of the general design, and to avoid the temptation to use the engineer's work merely as a scaffold on which to exhibit samples of his own affectations. Collaboration, however, was difficult. As the Author indicated, a few of the noblest engineering structures were a law unto themselves, because of their magnitude and because of the obvious difficulties which had had to be overcome in their construction; but such cases were few. Much of the engineer's work lay in urban districts, requiring treatment in harmony with architectural surroundings, or the blending of iron and steel ribs or girders with masonry piers or abutments. An engineer could not touch masonry above the surface of land or water without entering the domain of architecture, and if he would dabble in mouldings and classic orders, without having given some attention to the broad principles of the art, he would certainly produce results calculated to make accomplished architects gnash their teeth. The Author deserved the thanks of the Institution for having prepared a Paper which showed so clearly Mr. Morton, that, in order to secure successful design, a knowledge of the fine arts must be included amongst the qualifications of the engineer. Mr. H. Heathcote Statham having had the honour recently of reading a Paper l before the Royal Institute of British Architects on "The Esthetic Treatment of Engineering Structures," was naturally much interested in the subject. With the opinions expressed in the Author's able and thoughtful Paper he was generally in entire agreement; there were only two points on which he would raise a question. In regard to the pedestals (or, rather, pylons) which flanked the entry to the Alexander III. Bridge at Paris being too high in proportion to the lineof the ar...