This issue provides five papers, four of which involve the topic of ‘reinforced concrete’ and one associated with serviceability considerations of human induced vibrations. It is particularly pleasing that this issue contains a paper on flat slab construction, to appear 100 years after the first record published by C. A. P. Turner in Engineering News.
It is also welcome that a paper on serviceability of buildings and structures subject to vibrations appears in this issue. This subject is becoming a very ‘hot’ research topic following the development of very slender structures over the last two decades. It has been reported to me that the use of long span composite beams in speculative office construction has occasionally provided a floor unsuitable for the needs of leaseholders. This leads to the need for the client to have clear and sensible requirements on serviceability criteria for the designer to know the actions likely to cause vibrations and to be able to design to the required criteria. Very little of this is currently in Code format and the topic provides a rich research area. Elsewhere in these pages is a call for papers for a special issue on this very subject. Professor Aleksandar Pavic, a co-author on the paper in this issue, has been invited to be Guest Editor. I am sure the special issue will be popular and timely.
As an author myself I am very aware of the time lag between submission and publication of papers in the journal. Papers in this issue were submitted towards the end of 2003 and in early 2004, suggesting that the process takes just over a year. Some re-explanation of the process might help to explain this. As soon as a paper is received in the Institution it is sent to two reviewers. As an international journal these may be overseas members although return times from reviewers do not always reflect their distance from the ICE! At the same time an assessor from the editorial panel is appointed who will, once the reviews are returned, adjudicate and make a decision on publication. Rarely is this a straightforward acceptance and the paper's authors are often required to respond to reviewers comments or even to rewrite. We are currently awaiting rewrites on papers dating back to 2002 (with authors insisting they will eventually submit).
Rewritten papers sometimes require a re-review adding to the time to publication. Accepted papers are then published in date order. The move to six issues a year has gone a long way to tackling the build up of papers waiting to be published; however our thorough review processes, and the popularity of our journal, may result in a slightly longer lead time than with some other publications.
