JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SHELL AND SPATIAL STRUCTURES: J. IASS

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ANNUAL LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Members of the IASS,

The highlight of each IASS year is of course the annual symposium, when a significant fraction of the Association membership gathers to further the exchange of technical information and to renew collegiality and friendships. This year’s symposium was unusual in that it was organized jointly with our (larger and older) sister organization, the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). Both associations had in mind technical visits to the structures for the 2012 Olympic Games to be held in London, so we cooperated to hold a single symposium. Echoing the Olympic motto, the theme of the IABSE-IASS Symposium 2011 held in London on 20-23 September was “Taller, Longer, Lighter.”

As a consequence of being joint, the symposium had many more participants and a more diverse program than the typical IASS annual gathering. It offered the opportunity for members of each association to learn more about the other. A full report of the symposium is included in this issue of the Journal. The IASS co-chair of the organizing committee was outgoing IASS Vice President Brian Smith, and the IASS co-chair of the Scientific Committee was Journal Editor-in-Chief Sergio Pellegrino; and on behalf of the Association I am pleased to extend our gratitude for jobs well done.

One highly significant milestone at the annual symposium was the release – after several years of effort by over 30 IASS members as co-authors, editors and photographers – of the IASS 50th Jubilee Book, Fifty Years of Progress for Shell and Spatial Structures. Although the final publication of this volume was delayed for two years beyond the Jubilee in 2009 due to efforts to expand its content, its publication in 2011 does mark the 50th anniversary of the death of our illustrious founding President, Eduardo Torroja y Miret (1899-1961). The objective of the book is to document the developments in the fields of shell and spatial structures during the five decades since the Association was founded. In this way, contributions to the fields through the efforts of structural engineers, architects, builders and academics are scanned to give inspiration for further progress and to help show the way to the future. A free copy of

the Jubilee Book has been sent to all who were IASS members as of 23 September 2011; if you have not received your copy, please contact the Secretariat.

Cover of the IASS Jubilee Book, 500 pages, published 2011; co-edited by Ihsan Mungan and John F. Abel

In the opening ceremony of the London symposium, the Executive Council conferred Honorary Membership to two distinguished long-time members, as depicted on the next page. Jörg Schlaich is a well known designer, educator and researcher who is also noted for his social activism, especially for his advocacy of innovative structures for the generation of green energy. He is the founding principal of Schlaich Bergermann und Partner (sbp) and is Professor Emeritus of Stuttgart University. The inscription on his certificate of Honorary Membership reads: “For outstanding and remarkable contributions in the development and realization of innovative spatial systems for a broad range of structures while emphasizing conceptual design, lightness and consciousness of social problems; and for exceptional service to the Association.” Ludevít Végh is Professor Emeritus of the Czech Technical University, Prague, and the founding Chair of IASS Working Group 18 on

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Conferral of IASS Honorary Memberships to Jörg Schlaich (left) and Ludevít Végh (right) by President John F. Abel

Environmentally Compatible Structures. He is recognized as an engineer, educator, researcher and environmental pioneer. His inscription reads: “For outstanding, sustained contributions towards research, education and transfer of technology in the field of spatial structures, especially related to environmental compatibility; and for exceptional service to the Association.”

The other IASS Honors and Awards conferred at the symposium are announced in this issue by the Tsuboi Award and the Hangai Prize Committees, while the four Hangai Prize papers also appear. The Honors and Awards Committee is chaired by IASS Vice President Naren (NK) Srivastava.

The Technical Activities of the Association remain its principal focus. These are reflected in the proceedings of symposia, colloquia and other conferences but especially in the various activities and contributions of the IASS Working Groups overseen by the Technical Activities Committee (TAC). The chair of this committee is IASS Vice President René Motro; please read his TAC annual report in this issue to learn more.

This year, there has been further enhancement of the annual reporting of the Working Groups on the IASS website http://iass-structures.org. Now, the public portion of the website includes concise statements of the mission, background and objectives, while the members-only portion also presents a compilation of recent and planned activities of each group plus key WG documents.

The Journal of the IASS remains another underpinning of the technical activities of the Association. The Editor-in-Chief is Sergio Pellegrino and the Associate Editor is Asunción Morales. This year, a special issue devoted to the career and works of Heinz Isler (1926-2009) was

published in September to coincide with the very successful special IASS session of the same theme at the London Symposium.

I am pleased to report that the membership of the Association is at an all-time high, totaling 808 members of all categories as of 5 September 2011. In addition, 40 new Individual members joined the IASS during the London Symposium. The Membership Committee remains under the leadership of outgoing Vice President Brian Smith.

The financial health of the Association remains excellent, and Treasurer Ronald Shaeffer reports that we can continue membership fees the same as they have been for over a decade.

With the conclusion of Brian Smith’s term as Vice President, the Executive Council has elected Carlos Lázaro to fill this position for a three-year term.

A principal reason for the strong health of the IASS is the diligent and generous administration provided by the Secretariat of the Association at the Laboratorio Central de Estructuras y Materiales of CEDEX in Madrid, Spain. Allow me here to express grateful appreciation to the Director of the Laboratorio, Vice President Rafael Astudillo, and to IASS Secretary Marta Sánchez.

The next Annual IASS Symposium will be held in Seoul, 21-24 May 2012. This Annual Symposium will be held jointly with the ninth Asia-Pacific Conference on Shell and Spatial Structure (APCS). Further information on this and other symposia, colloquia and conferences are in the Events section of the IASS website and in the issues of the Journal.

My best wishes to all for a happy and fruitful 2012!

John F. Abel, President of the IASS