THE STRUT PROBLEM. 
By R. W. H. Hawken, B.A., M.E. (Sydney), M. Inst. C.E., 
Professor of Engineering, University of Queensland. 
(Read before the Royal Society of Queensland, August 25th, 
1919). 
In engineering and architectural construction the 
problem of strut design constantly occurs ; many elaborate 
theoretical analyses have been made, and much money 
spent in experiment to determine formulae and principles 
governing the design of such members. 
The failure of the Quebec Bridge in 1907, when many 
lives were lost, and hundreds of thousands of pounds fell 
into the river, showed that our knowledge of column design 
was not complete. 
The author, ina series of papers collected and published 
under the title of ‘‘Column Analysis and Design,’* has 
made a comparison of the various formulae proposed, 
and has deduced sets of curves for the purpose of 
analysing experimental results and for use in the design 
of columns. 
The deductions made in the paper mentioned were 
based on interpretations of previous work, and on new 
methods of analysis, which it is the purpose of this paper 
to explain and discuss. 
*Published by the University of Queensland and the Sydney 
University Engineering Society. 
