Washington D.C. Paper - Iron and Steel considered as Structural Materials – A Discussion, Papers and Remarks by (89dc7aa0-d7f2-4c63-ac0b-cdf2f18af8e5)

It may seem to be almost unnecessary to occupy the time of the Institute in further consideration of a question which has been so comprehensively treated in papers already on file in our own Transactions and in those of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Unfortunately, however, the results of these concerted efforts have not been materially to increase our stock of Knowledge in the direction sought for; and as the necessity for this information is becoming.more and more apparent as the demand for structural materials increases, it is believed that by continuing the agitation by means of discussions in this and kindred societies, whose members are vitally interested in obtaining reliable data as to the properties of the materials they are called upon to work with, public opinion may be educated up to the importance of exerting such an influence upon the law-makers of the country as will result in the formation of a competent board, with adequate means at its disposal, to carry out this great work in a manner alike acceptable to the makers and users of the materials in question. It may be proper in the first place to glance briefly at what has been attempted thus hr, then to indicate some of the more important lines of needed investigation, and finally to consider reasons why government aid may with propriety be sought for in carrying on the work. At a convention of the Society of Civil Engineers held at Chicago June 5th, 1872, it was, on motion of General William Sooy Smith, resolved, that, " Whereas, American engineers are now mainly dependent upon formula for the calculation of strength of the different form of iron and steel, not based on experiments upon American materials and manufacture; and " Whereas, There differ greatly in many of their ch~racteristics front thoae of foreign production, both in their nature and forma: therefore,