This book forms the Proceedings of the International Seminar held by the Institution of Structural Engineers and the Building Research Establishment in Brighton in April 1993. It brings together contributions from 15 countries on recent innovations in building and construction. Developments in the design of structures, improvements in existing materials and the introduction of new materials have historically gone hand-in-hand. The limited range of materials available for construction at any one time dictates the practical range of structural form and performance. It follows that current design methods, materials and construction techniques may not be suitable to meet the demands of particular applications. The introduction of a new material, or new practice may move the performance of the construction away from that which is reasonably well understood in the existing population of structures. By so doing, it may also lead to behaviour which cannot be adequately predicted by the current design methods. Developments such as these therefore bring risks as well as benefits. Innovations required to meet the clients' needs can also have a profound effect on the built environment. It is i